THE CHOSEN TRILOGY: BOOK II: The Legendary War
by Epicocity
Summary: Three years after the Rocket Four, the legendaries send a message by destroying Cycling Road. With no idea why, the Pokemon League holds a council to debate action. But will it be enough? Or will it require Arceus' long awaited plan...
1. Synopsis

**Author's Note: The only time I will feel obliged to do this. Welcome to BOOK II of THE CHOSEN TRILOGY. Expect many twists and turns along the way of this roller coaster. For those of you who have returned, welcome back. To you newbies, welcome and read below so you don't have to go through all 90,000+ words of the last story. Now, some quick notes before we move on: 1) As some of you may know, a new story arc for the anime was announced to start airing in the fall. I will not pick up that even though my trilogy will not be finished by then. This is because we won't have a proper translation and…well, see below, it pretty much shows that this takes place right after DP. 2)I have immense respect for the Pokemon fandom and even more respect for you, my past reviewers. Thanks to you we were able to get 83 reviews on the last story. Let's shoot for 100+ this time. Now…without further ado it's…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pokemon nor any of its characters. I own this plot and that is it.**

**WARNING: This story will contain Pokeshipping, Contestshipping, Penguinshipping, one-sided Pearlshipping, ending Rocketshipping, Blushshipping and…I think I've exhausted…oh, wait, Richie/Melody pairing.**

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THE CHOSEN TRILOGY**

**BOOK II**

**THE LEGENDARY WAR**

Synopsis

_In BOOK I of THE CHOSEN TRILOGY, THE ROCKET FOUR, Ash Ketchum and his friends Misty Waterflower, Brock, Dawn, May, and Max, along with Jessie, James and Meowth of Team Rocket lead an attack on Team Rocket Headquarters, taking Giovanni into custody in the year 2004. One year later on September 7__th__, a letter arrives at the Viridian City police station with a red letter R on it. Officer Jenny then calls Mr. Goodshow of the Pokemon League, looking for Ash Ketchum, who wins the Silver Conference that day (while also meeting his rival Paul). However, that evening, one of the Rocket Four capture Jenny. Ash Ketchum, now fifteen, sees Ho-oh flying off towards Sinnoh but disregards it in favor of going to Viridian City. There Ash and Brock both discover a letter from a group known as the Rocket Four in lyrical verse, calling Ash out. At the same moment, Misty Waterflower battles Barry of Twinleaf Town, beating him in an official gym battle. However, when she leaves she meets Ash himself. However, Ash turns out to be Brody, a former member of Team Magma, now a member of the Rocket Four. Misty is saved by Richie, who is currently traveling through the Kanto region on a quest to defeat the Battle Frontier._

_ In Viridian, Ash and Brock hear this and go with Jenny to Cerulean City, narrowly saving both Richie and Misty while Brody escapes. The entire group of five people return to the Cerulean police station where another clue has arrived. Soon, however, Max calls saying that his parents and sister have been kidnapped. The group goes over to Petalburg City, where Max recently came to after starting his Pokemon Journey where yet another clue is found indicating that Dawn has been kidnapped from Slateport City. Once more, all of them head over there and manage to find the clue that evening but are unable to figure it out. That night, Ash sees a dream of the Alpha Pokemon, Arceus, in ruins like the Spear Pillar reciting the Shamouti Prophecy._

_ The next morning, the 9__th__, Jenny ends up figuring out the clue, as it refers to a building set to be demolished in Saffron City. All of them go there and find May, Dawn, and Max's parents in the building. Unbeknownst to them however, the whole thing is a trap and Vicious (the Iron Masked Marauder) of the Rocket Four, along with Domino read their memories in order to find the locations of the legendaries. After this, the Rocket Four lay low. Two days later, on the 11__th__, Gary Oak arrives in Pallet Town to spend time with his grandfather. Soon after that, Riley of the Aura Guardians arrives and speaks with Ash regarding his destiny as the Chosen One. On the next day, Ash leaves on his own with Riley to Spear Pillar where he meets Arceus again who has the intention of training him to use aura._

_ On the 13__th__, Ash begins his training to use aura and manages to produce his first aura sphere by the end of the day whilst also discovering a cavern deep within Mount Coronet. On that very same day, the Rocket Four launches the next phase of their plan, shutting down all computers while depositing a lone e-mail at Professor Oak's laboratory. That evening, Maxie, the former leader of Team Magma, arrives in Pallet Town looking for Ash. He makes contact with Ash's friends at Ash's house the next day and provides them useful information regarding the Rocket Four's plan to capture the legendaries. Hearing of the virus plaguing Professor Oak they head over to the lab where Maxie cracks the encrypted e-mail with the password REVERSE. There they receive another riddle which leads them to New Island where they encounter Saturn of Team Galactic, who is now the leader of the Rocket Four. Saturn reveals to have caught Latias and then delivers the next clue regarding Mount Pyre in the Hoenn region. At this moment, Ash enters the Coronet Cavern and loses track of Pikachu. As he looks for his Pokemon, he encounters visions of a young blue haired boy in Sunyshore City but has no idea who he is. Meanwhile, Pikachu sees visions of war on the horizon…_

_ On the 15__th__ of September Jessie, James, and Meowth depart for Goldenrod City for Jessie's next Pokemon contest. However, along the way, they are attacked by Domino of the Rocket Four. Jessie escapes but James and Meowth are blasted off by Rayquaza, landing somewhere in Johto before falling unconscious. At the same time, Maxie, Brock and the others confront Brody on Mount Pyre who summons Groudon. Groudon opens an abyss into which Maxie falls and perishes. Ash Ketchum continues his training of aura._

_ Three days later, Brock and the others, now having Maxie's assets left to them, make their way to Shamouti to stop the Rocket Four. There they meet Melody and Richie falls in love with her almost instantly. However, they are unable to stop the Rocket Four who then destroy Shamouti. In the meantime, Paul is traveling through Johto but upon encountering Saturn, angrily battles him and loses. He attempts to stop Saturn from running off, but his rash action ends up landing him in a coma. Team Rocket finds him and takes him to the nearby hospital in Ecruteak City. Reggie arrives soon after to take care of his comatose brother. During all this, Ash enters the darkest cavern of Mount Coronet where he sees all of his friends dying to some nameless force. Unable to take the carnage, Ash faints._

_ Having seen that Ash has not returned by the 20__th__, Pikachu orders a rescue plan to save Ash, and the Pokemon do so successfully. Ash then speaks with Arceus about the prophecy and visions he had in the cave(here revolving around the burning of the Burned Tower and his ancestor, as well as of Kyogre, Mount Coronet and a battle) and learns that war is on the horizon and that nothing Ash does can stop also learns that he is not afraid of death from the visions that he had in the cave before he then resolves to meet with his friends who battle Vicious of the Rocket Four that very same day, having left Richie behind on Shamouti. They defeat Vicious, although Brody captures Celebi, and return him to the authorities. However, they are forced to stay in Arborville for that night since their Pokemon are gravely injured. The next day Ash finds them in Arborville and they all get themselves caught up to speed. The situation changes however when Giovanni is broken out of jail by Brody and a stone is activated to give power to all Pokemon caught with the Rocket Four's pokeballs._

_ With this power, the Rocket Four capture Mewtwo before confronting Ash in Arborville on the 22__nd__. A battle ensues and Domino is captured in the afternoon before the group follows Saturn to Mount Coronet. Saturn, Brody, and Giovanni destroy most of the aura guardians but are stymied by the blocks cordoning off Spear Pillar. Ash and his friends catch up to them early in the morning on the 23__rd__ and do battle with Brody who they capture. However, he merely laughs stating "You have no idea what you've started…" Misty, May, and Max take Brody to the police outside Mount Coronet. In the meanwhile, Ash, Brock, and Dawn confront Saturn and Giovanni. However, when Saturn's stone begins to go haywire, Ash sacrifices himself to contain the explosion._

_ As the 24__th__ comes, Brock and his friends leave the police station near Mount Coronet for Pallet Town, telling Delia Ketchum about her son's death. They then split off: May goes to Sinnoh, Misty back to Cerulean, and Max, Brock, and Dawn travel together to Hoenn. Meanwhile, the legendaries return home, Reggie watches over his brother; James and Meowth begin their search for Jessie and a blonde haired boy treks into Mount Silver alone. What is to become of a world without Ash Ketchum, the Chosen One? What was the meaning behind Brody's words? For a world that had experienced the wrath of Teams Rocket, Aqua, Magma, and Galactic, as well as the Rocket Four, the true story is only beginning…_

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Author's Note: Just a synopsis, but still…read on for more story…real story…story you don't know. You can review this if you want, helpful of course. And yes, I like dates. Dare to Be Silly.**


	2. Heralding

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Pokemon or anything to do with that. The only thing I own are the events contained herein.**

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Three Years Later…_

Heralding

_It was dark, that was all that could be seen. Even though the sun was peeking out over the crags of Mount Coronet, he could only see dark. But the voices, confirming the sad truth that he already knew were loud and discordant, yet muffled at the same exact time. Perhaps most sharp was the voice of Rhonda, cutting across all other news reporters._

_ "I'm Rhonda of Sinnoh Now! here at the base of Mount Coronet where it appears that Ash Ketchum, recent winner of the Silver Conference has just died." she said. The words cut like a knife…through all of them. He put his hand on the sobbing girl and led her, and the rest of his friends away. The reporters seemed to want to get close, but the police were pushing them back. Rhonda, out of the corner of his eye, turned to face the camera again. "It appears that his friends were unavailable for comments."_

Brock awoke. He wasn't sweating. He wasn't breathing heavily. He just…wasn't sleeping. And it wasn't the first time. Ever since Ash's death three years ago, each and every one of the people who had known him closely had been unable to sleep at one time or another. Having traveled with Max and Dawn he knew that it hit both of them very hard, being so young when it occurred. Brock had come to terms with it. But it didn't stop him from waking at night as he remembered the events that led up to Ash's death. Brock shifted in his bed to glance over to Max who was sleeping in the bed opposite him. His glasses were on a small bedside table and he was sleeping peacefully, a small Shinx curled at the foot of his bed, his most recent capture on their return from Sinnoh. Atop Max's bed was the other part of the bunk bed in which Dawn was sleeping silently, her blue locks falling elegantly around her face. Piplup was rolled up into a ball next to her, snoring slightly. Brock's gaze shifted to the window of the room in the Pokemon Center. Pikachu was standing there, staring out intently.

But Brock didn't say anything, didn't even move. Anytime Brock had woken in the middle of the night, it was always to find Pikachu staring off into the distance. He sometimes wondered how Pikachu kept going as it always seemed he didn't get any sleep at all. But whenever Brock would check up on him, the Pokemon would always be perfectly fine. Brock knew that it had to do with Ash…but why cut a wound in deeper? Brock turned away and faced the wall. Thinking would do no good. All they could do was keep pressing forward for Ash's sake. Brock let his eyelids droop, and before he even thought about it, he was asleep.

-CT-

Cycling Road: the highway to the entire Kanto Region. If you needed safe or quick and easy travel, Cycling Road would be your best bet. Two thousand meters long, stretching over a large expanse of a massive lake. If you were on Cycling Road you probably wouldn't see Celadon City, or Fuchsia City. But you could see both towns from which Cycling Road began. And that was a comfort to all. Day usually began with the first light of the sun in these towns with people working and bustling about. The Cycling Road was only closed at night and during a major storm but since the day dawned clear and beautiful, the bridge was lowered and transit began immediately.

"Gina, how're the fruits today?!" asked one such bicycler, on his way to the Cycling Road for the day. Gina, a fruit saleswoman, turned to face what was perhaps her favorite customer.

"Jeffery!" she said with shock as the man suddenly swept her into his arms and gave her a peck on the cheek. "A little early today? You usually don't show up for another half hour!"

"Well, I thought it was a beautiful day and such a pretty girl as yourself tending fruits on a beautiful morning would mean that you'd be swamped before I could even reach you." Jeffery gave a small chuckle and Gina laughed with him. "I hope you'll be saving me some of those strawberries for this evening."

"I always make you a personal fruit basket every time you come over for the night." Gina said with a sly smile and Jeffery winked at her. "Now go on and ride over to work. I, myself, have work to take care of right here."

"Aw, come on, play hooky for the day." He tried to grab her arm, but with ease of strength she twisted it off. He shook his hand to wring out the feeling it had just gotten.

"I have work to do and so do you. Now, go!" Gina said with a laugh and Jeffery gave her one last peck on the cheek before pedaling slowly. Gina watched him as he left with a sigh, the sigh of a girl hopelessly in love. He quickly started picking up the pace and, before long, Jeffery could no longer see his beloved. But, knowing he would see her at the end of the day pushed him to pedal forward and soon, the rubber of his bicycle tires hit the asphalt of Cycling Road.

"A beautiful day for cycling!" Jeffery yelled out, whooping loudly as he coasted down the road. He laughed to the clear blue sky and the bright shining sun. Then it was no more. Jeffery stopped laughing as clouds suddenly moved in to cover the entirety of the sky. He almost pulled on his brakes at the sudden shock. He wasn't the only one. Many people were stopping to witness the strange and sudden phenomenon. Jeffery wasn't staring at the road ahead and suddenly slammed into the bicycle of a guy in front of him. But the guy didn't mind, still transfixed at the scene that was shaping in front of their eyes. To this, Jeffery put a brake onto his movement and opted to stare at the sky. It was now completely covered in dark and ominous clouds, the likes of which they had never seen before.

Then there was a peal of lightning. Lightning crackled around all of the clouds but made no move to strike at the bridge. Then, an even more bizarre occurrence happened. There was a flash of fire. Then a flash of ice. All movement on Cycling Road was halted as everyone stared at what was happening in the sky above: an event which no bystander could have anticipated. Zapdos suddenly emerged in a blaze of lightning from the clouds with a screech that wreaked of destructive thunder. Followed by that was Moltres, brimming with fire all around its wings. Articuno was the last to emerge from the clouds, diamond dust floating around behind it. At once, it seemed to hit Jeffery that perhaps he should not be here at this exact moment.

Zapdos moved out of Moltres' way and suddenly Moltres let off a large line of flames from its mouth, striking the houses directly in front of it. The houses were set ablaze, those people inside attempting to scramble out before Articuno hit those houses with an icy blast of fury. Zapdos gave a loud screech, as if it was the leader of these three birds and all three suddenly made a quick move to change course. They suddenly angled toward cycling road. Jeffery swiveled his bike around to go back in the opposite way, to where he had come from. With speed he suddenly began to pedal but the sudden brush of Articuno blazing past caused his bike to flip over. Jeffery landed on the Cycling Road, face up. His bike soon landed on top of his legs and he cried out in pain. Not a single person made a move to help him as they all went racing past him. Some of them had suffered the same fate as he. But for all the cyclists it didn't matter.

Zapdos gave one more screech and channeled its lightning to strike at the suspension for the bridge. Moltres did a quick seep and brok off any escape from the ends of the bridges before meeting up with Zapdos while Articuno froze the surface of the lake beneath the road. The three then dove at Cycling Road and finished off the suspenders before focusing their attacks on one specific area which caused the road to suddenly cave in. All the cyclists fell onto the icy surface below as the bridge collapsed underneath them. But the icy surface wasn't enough to hold them as the weight of the bridge suddenly caused it to collapse and break. Zapdos, Moltres, and Articuno gave a cry and flew off into the clouds that had signaled their arrival. When they had disappeared, so did the clouds…but Cycling Road had already been broken beyond repair.

-CT-

"I'm here at the site of Cycling Road where witnesses respond that earlier this morning, the legendary birds Zapdos, Articuno, and Moltres appeared, burning a row of houses before proceeding to destroy the entirety of Cycling Road. This may certainly come as a loss to the entire Kanto Region as the Cycling Road was the primary mode of transit throughout the region. The death toll at this moment is unconfirmed and we will be back with more news later. But for now, the weather with your meteorologist-"

"What'cha up to, Brock?" came a bubbly voice from right next to him and Brock gave a slight jump and then a chuckle when he realized just who was speaking to him. Brock turned with a dazed look to the young fifteen year old girl standing next to him. Dawn had certainly grown up over the course of the past three years. Her blue hair fell more elegantly around her face and her face itself had matured a bit. Her body had grown out too to suit that of a teenager rather than the young pre-teen she had previously been. Her smile was bright and bubbly and to Brock she couldn't appear to be happier. Piplup was sitting on top of her beanie cap, munching on a small cookie in its fins.

"News report. What's going on?" Brock asked with an inquisitive air to his statement and Dawn shrugged her shoulder, leaning around Brock's figure to catch a glance at the TV.

"So…I'm guessing that you're interested in the Sinnoh Women's Pageant Dress Sale?" Dawn asked with a raised eyebrow and Brock suddenly turned around to face the TV.

"Really? That's soon?!" But Brock's face soon fell as he realized that the commercial was over. "You could have told me sooner."

"And risk you drooling all over the TV? No thank you. I don't want Nurse Joy kicking us out because you ruined the only TV in the Viridian Pokemon Center." Dawn said with her eyes rolling. Then she let out a huge sigh and shook her head. Some things just never changed. Brock cleared his head of thoughts of Nurse Joys and Officer Jennys to speak with Dawn.

"Well, are we ready to go yet then? Where's Max?" Brock asked and Dawn once more proceeded to roll her eyes jerking her thumb out towards the Pokemon Center battling area.

"Where do you think?" Brock let out a laugh as he grabbed his backpack and walked outside with Dawn, who had left her backpack with Max. As they got closer to the site of the battlefield they could hear the sounds of battle going on.

"All right Gardevoir, Magical Leaf!" came Max's nasally voice ordering an attack from what was probably his most prized Pokemon. The Pokemon gave a cry and sent out a flurry of leaves that the two trainers saw as they rounded the corner. "All right Sceptile, counter with Leaf Blade now!" Finally emerging onto the training field the two saw Max's Sceptile leap into the air, green blades appearing on its arm as it slashed wildly at Gardevoir's Magical leaf, knocking each of them aside.

"Good work Max, it looks like you've got Sceptile's deflecting skills down!" Dawn said with a smile as Sceptile finished his combo. Max looked towards them with a smile, straightening the glasses on his face.

"Great job guys. Return." Max held both of his pokeballs out and called the two of them back in. Shinx, however, remained out of its pokeball. "Are we ready to go?"

"Only if you are." Brock said and Max nodded, quickly placing his pokeballs on his belt. Now at the age of thirteen Max was much more lanky than he had previously been, although he still had the look on his face as though he knew everything. Of course, Brock commented in his mind, it didn't stop him from losing battles. Max had now been through three of the leagues: Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Johto. They even went on a short excursion in the Orange Islands. Max had placed well in each of the leagues but never won any of them. Now they were back in Kanto for that League and Contest challenge. But there were still some things that they needed to do.

"Then let's get going already!!" Dawn exclaimed and triumphantly picked up her bag. Brock looked to Pikachu who had been watching Max's battle.

"Come on Pikachu, time to go to Pallet!" Brock announced and Pikachu turned with a smile.

"Pika!" Pikachu announced and jumped on Brock's arm, climbing up to his shoulder where he rested. Brock made sure he was comfortable before the three travelers then left the Pokemon Center, bidding a farewell to Nurse Joy as they headed South. Around lunch time, Piplup, Pikachu and Shinx decided that they would walk along together on the ground. Shinx, who Max had caught at the end of their most recent adventure in Sinnoh as they headed back to Kanto had already bonded with Pikachu and Piplup, to which the trainers were grateful. It was pretty powerful too, knowing both Shock Wave and Iron Tail when Max caught it and Max was working on Crunch.

Evening started arching in the sky as they came up on Pallet Town and heard a familiar voice.

"Max! Dawn! Brock!" cried out a female voice and Max turned with happy anticipation towards the running form of his sister. He scowled a little however when he saw the green haired boy standing behind her, lazily smirking as he followed behind her with his hands in his pockets.

"What's Drew doing here?" Max asked, his scowl not leaving his face.

"Just finished up the Grand Festival repeat in Hoenn and he decides to follow me." May said, blowing a strand of hair out of her face. "But enough about me Max, it's been a year. How have you been? I saw the battle at the Sinnoh League and I'm so sorry."

"It's all right. At least now I understand how Ash felt all those times _he_ lost in leagues." Max said with a chuckle and everyone shared a forced laugh. Drew found the situation a little awkward and opted not to say anything. The five of them quickly turned toward Pallet and began descending down the hills.

"So, May, you see the news on Cycling Road?" Brock asked and May nodded with widened eyes. "Pretty serious stuff. I have no idea who they'll even manage to rebuild it all."

"I'm sure they'll find some way. By the way, Brock, do you know when Misty's coming?" May asked, but instead of Brock answering the question directed at him, Dawn did.

"We spoke to her in Viridian last night. Turns out she'll be coming here in two days." Dawn said with a smile. "Well, at least she'll be here to watch the tag battle with us, right?"

"Hey I need to win my Cascade Badge first!" Max complained loudly but he still joined in with the laughter when they all laughed. At last, the group of five had arrived in Pallet Town and quickly turned to make their way towards the Ketchum residence. In no time at all they were knocking on the front door. Mrs. Ketchum opened the door with a smile which they all smiled back (Drew's being more of an awkward smile) before Mrs. Ketchum let them in the house without a word. To Mrs. Ketchum's mind: her sons and daughters had returned home after their customary year of traveling.

-CT-

"Come on out, Shinx!" Max called, tossing the pokeball into the air from which the tiny Pokemon emerged. On the opposite side of the water based battlefield in Professor Oak's Laboratory, the red haired trainer smirked at her opponent before tossing a pokeball into the air, from which emerged the mighty Gyarados. It roared triumphantly but Shinx stood its ground. From the sidelines both Pikachu, Dawn, and Buneary were cheering the younger trainer on.

"I wonder why Misty decided to throw out Gyarados first?" May wondered to which Gary snickered.

"Misty wants to test Max's ability to adapt. She threw out her most powerful Pokemon first to see how Ash was going to deal with it." Gary said and May turned to him with slits in her eyes.

"Okay, Mister I'm-Going-To-Inherit-My-Grandfather's-Lab, yeah, we all know that's what the two of you were talking about this morning. Anyway, how do you know so much about being a Gym Leader?" May said with a cold voice to which Drew laughed and May smacked him across the arm.

"Oh, I've thought about becoming one once or twice. Unfortunately league rules state you can't be one until you're twenty unless you've inherited the Gym." Gary said with a slight scowl to his features. May just turned away and proceeded to watch the battle between her brother and the Cerulean Gym Leader. She yawned loudly as she did so. It was far too early for this, but Misty hadn't arrived until late last night and it was imperative that the two trainers have their battle before the Tag Battle were to begin. It had been four days since they came here and May had already started to feel fully refreshed from her travels.

"Gyarados, Flamethrower!" Misty ordered out and Gyarados obeyed. A roaring flame spurted out from the dragon's mouth but Max ordered his Shinx effectively.

"All right Shinx, roll out of the way and dodge that!" Shinx obeyed its trainer and narrowly avoided the flames that struck at them. "Now, use your tail to launch yourself into the air and use Iron Tail!" Shinx quickly rolled backward before flying up in the air. It's tail glowed as it struck Gyarados on the head. Gyarados was pushed back but otherwise looked no worse for the wear. Misty smirked from behind her Pokemon.

"All right Gyarados, Waterfall!" Misty commanded and suddenly it seemed as if Gyarados was riding up on the water as it proceeded towards Shinx. Max grimaced.

"Shinx, use Shock Wave to break up that wave." Shinx obeyed, a large band of electricity surging out of it to destroy the wave upon which Gyarados was riding. The wave crashed underneath it and Gyarados started to descend, but looked unharmed. Then Max got an idea to deal an ideal amount of damage to Gyarados. "All right, let's repeat your tail launching move, Shinx! Now, Shock wave on Gyarados' face!" Shinx immediately let off a shock as soon as the Iron Tail connected with Gyarados. To this, Gyarados howled in pain but Misty kept her own composure.

"All right Gyarados, Aqua Tail on Shinx now." Misty said calmly and with a sudden ferocity, the tail slammed into Shinx, knocking it off and ending the attack. Shinx hit the grass and laid there sprawled. Professor Oak raised his red flag towards Misty.

"Shinx is unable to battle, Gyarados is the winner." Professor Oak announced. Max gave a sigh. If Gyarados could take out Shinx that easily, what chance did the rest of his team stand against that brute force?

"All right, I quit. I'll just challenge you at your gym when I've trained more." Max said, calling Shinx back to its pokeball with a disheartened look on his face. Misty looked at him from across the field.

"So you'll just give up on your dream like that!" Misty yelled out and Max looked at her. "Look Max, I know you're all about analyzing but sometimes, a Pokemon battle is just about instinct. Your Shinx did well, look at my Gyarados, it's reeling from exhaustion so give me your best shot!"

"It's starting!" came a voice from within the lab and everyone turned to see Mrs. Ketchum holding a towel, waving toward them. Misty faced Max with a scowl.

"Max, we'll finish this after the tag battle. And I want you to try your best. Ash never gave up after one Pokemon went down. He fought until the very end and so should you." Misty called back Gyarados and Max hung his head. The Cerulean Gym Leader walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, let's go watch some battles." Max smiled and pushed his glasses up following all the others into the lab. Before long, all nine of the inhabitants were sitting around the TV.

"So, why didn't they have it here in Kanto?" Dawn asked, taking a sandwich from the platter and beginning to munch on it. "I mean, this is Ash's home after all."

"Oh, they wanted to." Mrs. Ketchum said. "But with the Indigo League just finishing up and that whole Cycling Road business, they opted to have it at the Silver Conference stadium."

"A bizarre thing, what those three Pokemon did…" Professor Oak mused but soon turned his attention back towards the TV. Brock raised his glass of soda to all of them.

"To Ash Ketchum, and what would have been his eighteenth birthday!" Brock said proudly.

"To Ash!" they all cheered and took sips from their cups before turning back to the TV where Mr. Goodshow was standing in the middle of the stadium. Mrs. Ketchum quickly turned the volume up.

"Welcome one and welcome all to the First Annual Ash Ketchum Memorial Tag Battle. As some of you may know, today would have been Ash Ketchum's, winner of the Indigo and Sinnoh Leagues, the Orange Island League, and the Silver Conference, eighteenth birthday. That is why we are gathered here today." The camera of the reporter covering the event panned around the stadium before stopping on Mr. Goodshow again. Fans were cheering wildly at this event and many of them couldn't wait to get started. Max peered through his lenses and noticed an older boy sitting in the front row behind Mr. Goodshow. He looked so familiar but Max just couldn't place it. His blonde hair was ruffled and messy, blowing around in the wind and his air was cool and collected. Yet on his face, max saw the happiness at witnessing a Pokemon battle. A happiness that he could remember only on one other's face.

"That's Ash!" Max suddenly yelled out and everyone looked at him strangely.

"Max, what are you talking about?" May asked with laughter behind her voice. Max pointed at the blonde haired boy as Mr. Goodshow stepped off to give way to the referee.

"That boy there, with the blonde hair, it's Ash. I'm positive. It looks just like him." Max said and everyone squinted towards that exact point. May just scoffed at the mention.

"Max, that's not Ash. Ash is…dead, remember?" May said with a comforting hand on her brother's shoulder. Max brushed it off angrily.

"I know what I'm looking at!" Max yelled before Brock's hand helped him calm down, by placing it on his other shoulder.

"It's okay Max. We all wish Ash was alive, but he's not, okay?" Max looked at him for a moment before nodding reluctantly. He turned towards the TV again. Mrs. Ketchum bent down next to him.

"I know it's hard Max, but you always have to keep going. I got through it, and I still am. It'll all be fine." Mrs. Ketchum smiled at him before going to make more sandwiches. Max nodded as he watched the trainers send out their Pokemon: a Typhlosion and Ampharos on one side, a Swampert and a Charizard on the other. Max scowled as he began to watch the battle. Ash was alive. He was that boy. He just had to be. He realized it, why couldn't the others? Although, max didn't realize Pikachu staring at the blonde haired boy whenever he appeared with a very strong sense of his own recognition.

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Author's Note: The end to the first chapter of BOOK II. So, what did you all think? I thought it was good and it gets even better from here. Next chapter may be a tad longish thanks to the tag battle I'm going to write but still good. Is Ash alive? And what about those legendaries? Read and review, huh? Yes, I said it, REVIEW. We hit 83 last time. I think we can totally break a hundred this time. Also, check my profile page soon and you'll find a list of DP episodes I suggest you watch if you've never seen a DP episode. I know, the voice actors are different, but really, it grows on you. I hated it at first but now I love it. So, REVIEW and Dare to Be Silly.**


	3. The Boy With Blonde Hair

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pokemon. I own this battle video...kind of...which can be looked up via the pokemon and trainer names and I own the plot...nothing else though.**

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The Boy with Blonde Hair

"Hey there now, the time has come at last. May twenty second, the day that you've all been waiting for: the first day and opening rounds of the Ash Ketchum Memorial Tag Battle!!" cried the announcer's voice booming throughout the stadium. Cheers erupted in all the seats and spectators stood on their tip toes in order to see all the competitors ranged below. A young boy, no more than eighteen smiled as he pushed through the bustle and hustle surrounding him. It had been hard work for him, this past week, to help set up the Silver Conference Stadium for a battle as large as this one. He pushed his fingers through his blonde hair. Well, there was one advantage to working here: he was able to get front row seats. As he pushed along on the way to his seat, making sure to grab some popcorn as he went, he chanced a look at the brackets on the board. Nope, no familiar faces there. It was a shame really, but to be expected. The announcer started speaking again as the boy slid into his seat to pay rapt attention to the ceremonies at hand. "I now present to you, Mr. Charles Goodshow, president of the Pokemon League who will explain the meaning behind this momentous event!" The boy leaned forward in his chair as Charles Goodshow stepped into the middle of the stadium and cleared his throat.

"Hemm hemm…" Goodshow brought the microphone to his lips and at last began to speak fluidly. "Welcome one and welcome all to the First Annual Ash Ketchum Memorial Tag Battle. As some of you may know, today would have been Ash Ketchum's, winner of the Indigo and Sinnoh Leagues, the Orange Island League, and the Silver Conference, eighteenth birthday. That is why we are gathered here today. Now, some of you may not know the story of Ash Ketchum, but what we have been told is this: that three years ago a crime syndicate known as the Rocket Four threatened everything in our world to the point that had Ash Ketchum not stepped in to intervene, everything we loved and cherished would have been gone forever. For that, we honor him.

"Ash Ketchum, was a boy who believed in love for all people and Pokemon, seeing them work together in harmony. That is why we have made this memorial tournament a tag battle, right here in this very stadium, the last league championship he won. We have come to honor that trainer's spirit in the best way possible: emphasizing the harmony between humans as they work together as a team to reach the very top. In light of the recent events of four days ago in the Kanto region, we all believe this bond is more important than ever. Trainers, I salute you and the best of luck!" Mr. Goodshow then stepped down from the stadium's battlefield to give way to the referee, who took his position at the sides of the battlefield. Meanwhile, the announcer decided to explain the rules of the tournament.

"As you all know all these battles are tag battle. Two hundred and fifty six trainers, a hundred and twenty eight teams, sixty four first matchups, six rounds, three Pokemon per trainer, and only one winner overall. That's right folks, this tag battle will be a full six on six battle between four trainers, with two trainers on each side using only three Pokemon each. The battle will be over when all six of one sides' Pokemon have been defeated, furthermore, substitutions will be allowed on both sides. Challengers, please step up to the battlefield." At long last, the blonde haired boy saw the challengers coming up the steps onto the battlefield. he vaguely noticed the cameras in the arena panning around but lost himself in the excitement of everything that was going on at the moment. The boy took notice of the trainers. One of them was sporting a red and yellow cap, his ebony skin clashing with it horribly, while his partner next to him had very pale skin, but the look on his face indicated that he was ready for this tag battle. On the opposite side were the other two trainers, one tall and lanky, the other, still tall, but slightly chunky, both wearing glasses and a look of determination on their faces. The referee finally spoke up loudly.

"This first tag battle will be between Ethan and Gold against Crim and Vayne. The rules will follow in accordance with the tag battle guidelines. Begin!" All at once the four trainers reached for their first pokeballs. From Ethan's pokeball (the slightly chunky trainer) emerged an Ampharos while Gold, his partner, sent out a Typhlosion. Following that, Vayne (the ebony-skinned trainer) sent out his Charizard while Crim sent out his Swampert. Vayne took his command first.

"All right, Charizard, use Focus Blast on Typhlosion!" The Charizard suddenly started charging up a large blast in its hands. Both Ethan and Gold saw this, capitalizing immediately on the moment.

"Ampharos, time to use Light Screen!" Ethan commanded and Ampharos extended its hands out. A golden honeycombed shield wrapped around both members of the team in a box before dissipating. Meanwhile, Gold decided to take measures to avoid the Charizard's attack.

"All right Typhlosion, use Substitute and crouch a little." Gold ordered with precision. The next move was almost impossible to see but Typhlosion instantly conjured up an image of itself which quickly crouched down. The Focus Blast flew over its head and dissipated entirely. Crim decided to quickly make his move after that.

"Swampert, quick, use a Stealth Rock!" came Crim's order and Swampert shot out glowing hunks from its back which planted themselves in the middle of the field, surrounding the other two Pokemon, both of which had not attacked. Ethan and Gold looked to each other from across the field while the announcer commented on the match.

"And it seems that Crim is setting up the battle field…who knows how this battle will go in the end?!" the announcer stated excitedly before the moves were made once again.

"Typhlosion, use a quick Sunny Day now!" Gold ordered his Typhlosion and the Typhlosion's flames on its back flared up before shooting into the sky and lighting it up brightly. Knowing that Typhlosion was partially occupied, Vayne made his quick move.

"All right Charizard, let's take this and use Shadow Claw on Ampharos now." Charizard flapped up into the air and aimed straight for Ethan's Ampharos, a shadowy figure of a claw fitting like a glove over Charizard's own claws. Ethan quickly calculated the situation and decided to take action.

"Ampharos, counter that Shadow Claw with a Thunder Punch!" Ethan ordered and the blonde haired boy leaned forward in his seat to see where the battle would be going. Both attacks connected, and for a moment it seemed that the Shadow Claw had certainly hit its mark when Ampharos went reeling. However, as soon as the Thunderpunch made contact with Charizard, Charizard was flown back. When the Pokemon finally landed it grimaced as its body seemed to convulse with electrical shock.

"It seems that Charizard has been hit by a wave of paralysis, who knows if that Pokemon will be able to pull out a move that fast again." the announcer cried to the crowd. However, Crim once more took advantage of the other moves being spent, ordering an Avalanche from his Swampert. Swampert did so, suddenly sending a barrage of ice balls out from its mouth which struck on Ampharos. However, Ampharos seemed whole and was able to still remain fighting. As soon as Ampharos seemed okay again however, Ethan and Gold launched their next attack.

"Okay Ampharos, Thunderpunch on Charizard once more!" Ethan yelled and Gold stepped forward to command his Typhlosion.

"And you too Typhlosion, let's use a Solarbeam on Swampert!" Both Pokemon obeyed their trainer's ordered. Thinking himself swift, Vayne ordered a Flamethrower from Charizard to attack. However, the paralysis gripped Charizard and suddenly made it move slower. The punch connected with Charizard and the fire type went flying backward crashing into the ground. At the same exact moment, Typhlosion shot out a great beam of light from its mouth which struck home on Swampert causing it to fly backward as well and land right next to Charizard.

"Charizard and Swampert are unable to battle." the referee announced and the blonde haired boy slumped in his chair. He had been through many a Pokemon battle in his life, and he could already tell how this one might go if the other team wasn't careful. Vayne and Crim recalled their Pokemon before reaching towards their belts fro their next choices.

"Let's go Porygon-Z!"

"Come on out Dragonite!" Vayne's Dragonite roared to the audience's approval while Porygon-Z floated there, ready and prepared to do battle. Ethan and Gold looked at each other to quickly calculate their next move. This time, Crim moved first.

"Porygon-Z, quick and use a Tri-Attack on Ampharos right now!" Porygon-Z flipped around slightly in midair and a small little beam struck out from what one would suppose was its mouth. Gold, instantly doled out an order to protect his comrade.

"Typhlosion, Fire Blast on Porygon-Z right now!" Typhlosion acted immediately in a move to protect Ampharos, the attack came out too late even though it struck home to its target. Porygon-Z quickly fell soon after its attack ended. Ampharos was pushed backward but the Pokemon was clearly sturdier than it looked and was still standing on both of its feet. Ethan took the greatest advantage of this.

"All right, with Porygon-Z out of the way, let's work on Dragonite, Thunder Wave right now!" Ampharos let out a shock that started to stretch over to Dragonite. Vayne took action first to get the attack off before the paralysis was to hit.

"Dragonite, Ice Beam on Typhlosion!" Vayne said and all three other trainers were taken aback by the order. The boy in the front row raised his eyebrow. Ice Beam? On a fire type? really?

"Are you an idiot?!" Crim yelled to his unfortunate tag battle partner. "Using dumb moves like Ice Beam on a fire type's substitute is going to cost us this match!"

"Well what else do you want me to do?!" Vayne yelled back at his partner. As the dissonance between the two flared, Porygon-Z landed at their feet and the Ice Beam attack that came from Dragonite showed to not have done any damage at all.

"Porygon-Z is unable to battle!" the referee announced and the cheers grew louder. Half of the Pokemon from one team were now down while the other team still had all of theirs standing, even though it was pretty clear that Ampharos was starting to tire. Crim called back his Porygon-Z and sent out his last Pokemon: an Electivire.

"Let's get Electivire out of the way, huh? Solarbeam, Typhlosion!" Typhlosion obeyed quickly and sent a beam of light at Electivire. Crim ordered for his Pokemon to block it, which it did. It uncrossed its arms, looking tired, but still in the battle.

"Too bad on that, huh, Gold? Ampharos, use Thunder Punch on Dragonite!" Ampharos complied and ran at Dragonite. Vayne ordered it to dodge but the Pokemon was too slow and in a moment, the punch collided, sending it back. Vayne ordered for it to use Outrage, but the Pokemon was surrounded with numerous shocks and couldn't obey.

"Let's keep Ampharos out of the way Electivire, use Psychic!" Electivire's eyes glowed with a blue tint to them and soon Ampharos was floating in the air. Gold saw the only way to free Ampharos from the Psychic's tight hold.

"Fire Blast, now!" Typhlosion once more opened its mouth, great flames erupting from it and striking Electivire once again. Electivire dropped its hold on Ampharos and was sprawled on the battlefield, fainted. Crim was out of his usable Pokemon. But it was too late to save Ampharos as Dragonite finally started moving with intent of using Outrage. Ethan decided to use his last ditch effort.

"Ampharos, make sure you hit it with one more Thunderpunch before you go down!" Ethan ordered and Ampharos, having the clear speed advantage with Dragonite's paralysis connected the attack with Dragonite. Dragonite went flying backward, but the impact of Dragonite's own attack had already hit and Ampharos hit the floor.

"Both Ampharos and Electivire are unable to battle." the referee announced and the blonde haired boy smiled. The battle was starting to come to a close. He could feel it. All of them could. The two opposing trainers called their Pokemon back. Crim stepped off to the side to let his partner finish this.

"Come on out, Mismagius!" Ethan cried and the levitating ghost Pokemon emerged at long last before the stones that rested on the field came and smashed into Mismagius. But Gold jumped straight into taking down Vayne's Dragonite with one final Fire Blast, instead of conferring with his partner. Before the dragon had a chance to blink the attack connected and sent it out of the ring as the bright sun in the sky faded back to normal. As the announcer called that Dragonite couldn't battle, Vayne called it back before tossing his last pokeball into the air. Gengar emerged from it.

"I think you can finish this, huh?" Gold asked to his partner and Ethan shrugged nonchalantly. Gold just lazily ordered for Typhlosion to use another Sunny Day. As it did so, Vayne ordered his Gengar to use Shadow Ball on Mismagius. Ethan ordered his Mismagius to use her own Shadow Ball. The two attacks flew past each other and landed. Both Pokemon staggered out of it and for a moment the entire stadium was hushed, wondering which Pokemon would go down. Finally, Gengar succumbed to fatigue and fainted.

"Gengar is unable to battle. As both Crim and Vayne are out of usable Pokemon, the winners are Ethan and Gold!" At this, the crowd went wild. The blonde haired boy himself clapped. If those two were that good now, he could only see how the rest of the rounds would go for them. He smiled as the two trainers congratulated each other and stepped off the battlefield. Suddenly a sharp voice came into his head.

_Ash, the time has come._ The boy snapped a look upward and his smile vanished, now replaced with a look of determination. He heaved a breath and stood up, turning around to leave his seat. He wasn't looking where he was going and almost bumped into a man.

"Oh, sorry." he said quickly and the man said that it was no matter. Then he looked behind him.

"Is that seat taken?" the man asked and the boy looked back at it for a moment.

"You can have it." he said with a shrug. He knew he wasn't going to use it again.

"You sure, man?" he asked him and the boy nodded before quickly walking off. He had no more time to waste here. Quickly leaving the battlefield and the stadium the boy proceeded to follow his instincts to emerge in the concessions area where people were selling merchandise for the event. A short distance away the boy saw a floating form of an equine Pokemon with no mouth and a gold band surrounding its body. The boy walked up to it with purpose.

"What's up, Arceus? Long time, no see." he asked in a jesting manner, whilst glancing around to see if anybody thought this whole thing strange. After all, wasn't the Alpha Pokemon appearing in a highly publicized area?

"How are you, Ash?" Arceus asked and Ash shrugged.

"I'm fine. What about you?" Ash asked. "Showing yourself in a public place…a little risky, don't you think?" Arceus chuckled at the mention of this and Ash looked at him with a slightly bemused expression.

"Oh, only you can see me because of aura." Arceus pointed out. Ash nodded slowly.

"So pretty much all people see is me talking to myself in a public place and they all think I'm crazy?" Ash said, thinking a little too hard on the subject. Arceus inclined his head slightly.

"Precisely." Arceus responded and Ash made no further movement.

"Great." Ash said before then turning to Arceus. "So, Arceus, what's going on?" Ash looked at Arceus who stared out of the stadium.

"The war has begun at last. I felt it was safe to wait until you'd seen the first round of your memorial tag battle." Arceus said with a glimmer of kindness in his voice. Ash smiled at him.

"Thanks." Ash stated with gratitude. "Haven't been able to do anything but hide out in Mount Silver for three years with no food, no water, my hair dyed blonde to escape suspicion and NO HAT!" Ash complained loudly and Arceus laughed, shaking his head.

"A feat of which I am sure was very difficult for you. Fear not Ash, the time for you to reveal yourself will come soon. But for now, there are tasks that must be done." Arceus stated and now he had Ash's full and total attention.

"What do we need to do?" Ash said, all humor gone from his voice. Arceus once more glanced outside to a forest in the distance.

"Meet me outside in the forest." Arceus said before turning away and creating a portal that only Ash could see. But he paused before quickly turning back to Ash. "Oh yes, and I believe it would still be prudent to keep your hair blonde for now." With that, he disappeared into the portal. Ash raised his eyebrows and heaved a sigh. Three years he had hidden in Mount Silver on Arceus' orders. Ever since the Rocket Four confrontation three years ago in fact. When Ash had decided to sacrifice himself to stop the machine from exploding, Arceus arrived after the aura shields were in place and whisked him away through a portal. Before Ash left, he tossed his hat aside, knowing that if they all saw it, they would believe him dead. Which was what he wanted. Arceus told him it would be best for him to hide out and not make the "Chosen One's" presence known to anybody, so that, whenever the war did start, they would have the advantage. Ash let those thoughts escape his head and he made for the doors that led out of the stadium.

As he passed by he watched all the people milling around, not a care in the world, their Pokemon all trailing along by their sides. Ash's face fell. How he wanted to see Pikachu again. He missed his best friend more than anything else from his old life and would give anything to see him. But his thoughts passed away from that as he emerged from the stadium and began to walk towards the small outcropping of trees a slight distance away. Before long, Ash reached them and saw Arceus there.

"Visible now?" Ash asked with a smirk and Arceus chuckled with him. But Arceus shook his head, indicating that he could not yet do so. "Okay, so what are we doing now?"

"Recruitment." Arceus said simply and Ash looked at him with a dumbfounded expression. "You may not know this, but we are severely under-stocked in our forces for taking on those other legendaries. We're going to recruit some who may help us in our endeavor. In particular, a certain legendary. After that, we will retire to Spear Pillar, our base of operations and you will meet our forces."

"Sounds great. So, where to?" Ash asked. Arceus smiled slyly at him.

"Oh, I believe you know the place." Arceus stated. "And as such I think you can get there on your own: Alamos Town." Ash nodded his head. Already, he could see where this whole thing was going. "Good, so I'll meet you there."

"Wha-? Hey, wait!" Ash said but Arceus had already disappeared through his portal on the way to Alamos Town. "Okay, run off without telling me anything, why don't ya? Not like you haven't done it before." Ash gave another sigh before holding his hand out and creating a blue portal in front of him. All those years of training in Mount Silver had paid off and Ash was able to manipulate the power of aura to his complete will. Or at least he felt so, even though Arceus _had_ hinted that he didn't know all that there was to know about aura. Shaking away thoughts (an action that was quite unbecoming of him), Ash stepped into the portal. Already used to them, he didn't take time to examine the patterns that floated along the walls until at last he emerged into a _very_ familiar garden. Arceus was floating right next to him.

"Alamos Town…" Ash breathed, near silently and Arceus inclined his head, indicating that he was completely correct. "Right, remind me why I need to keep being blonde. Because, I'll have you know, it reminds me very much of the time I had to dress up like a girl." To this, even Arceus could not compose himself and the Alpha Pokemon began laughing. "Hey, it's not funny!"

"My apologies Ash, just…oh, never mind. You need to keep your hair blonde and not wear a hat because then people will recognize you…which is _not_ something we need at the moment. Now come." Arceus started floating on ahead of Ash who had to jog a little in order to catch up to his old mentor.

"Why are we here again?" Ash asked quickly and Arceus heaved a heavy sigh while still moving on.

"Ash, has your attention span _shortened_ in the past three years? I told you that we're here to recruit another member to our council." Arceus said. "I didn't have the time before the war began so…I decided to bring you along."

"Yeah but who would we…oh…Darkrai…" Ash said in a sudden realization and Arceus rolled his eyes, continuing to move on. Ash quickly followed after. He still couldn't fathom why there was a need to bring himself along but he figured he would just roll with it.

"Go away!" cried a harsh and gravelly voice before a shot of darkness fired out at both Ash and Arceus. Arceus quickly floated in front of Ash to protect him and absorbed the Dark Pulse attack. "Your kind should not defile this place."

"Really, Darkrai? My kind? Last I checked I am the only one of my kind." Arceus stated when suddenly a dark shadow emerged from the brush ahead of both the intruders in the garden. "There you are."

"I won't help." Darkrai stated vehemently. "All us Pokemon felt the tremors when that place was destroyed. I won't help you."

"You do realize it was our enemies who did that, and not us?" Arceus said and Ash was consigned to look back and forth between the verbal raconteurs.

"I don't care. If I joined your side, then those Pokemon would believe me to have spited them and they would attack the garden. I will not allow it." Darkrai said, his face getting awfully close to Arceus'. Arceus didn't flinch but instead widened his eyes in the equivalent of raising eyebrows.

"So they've contacted you then, I take it?" Arceus said but Darkrai didn't respond, opting instead to turn around and fly back into the bushes. "Oh come now, is that how we deal with problems now, running away? Darkrai, it is essential you join us."

"I am not going to risk this garden's safety by joining you. Forget it." Darkrai said, still silently floating away. Ash quickly stepped forward, realizing that he needed to intervene if they were to go anywhere with this.

"Darkrai, wait!" Ash said and miraculously, Darkrai stopped. He turned his head but not his body toward the Chosen One, trying to remember where he had seen the boy's face before. "Come on, don't go. Don't you remember me? It's Ash, Ash Ketchum." Still, Darkrai's face remained blank at the mention of Ash's name. "I was here, almost five years ago when Dialga and Palkia attacked the town. Me and my friend Dawn managed to play Oracion and bring the town back."

"I don't know you." Darkrai said stoically and Ash grit his teeth. There had to be something that would remind Darkrai of who he was. Then it hit him, the one thing that might change Darkrai's mind.

"I was the one you gave the nightmare to! You gave me the nightmare and I saw Palkia in that nightmare. You warned me about the attacks on Alamos Town!" Ash yelled out and some Starly flew out of a nearby tree.

"The boy with the Pikachu…" Darkrai mused and Ash nodded encouragingly. "So you were the one I gave that vision to."

"Why me? Why did you give the vision to me? I know that Lickilicky stepped out of the way but…I don't think he would have gotten the same dream." Ash said and Darkrai now fully turned around and floated down towards Ash.

"You're the Chosen One, aren't you? Somehow, you could see things that others could not." Darkrai stated, staring straight into Ash's eyes with his deep blue eyes. "But that doesn't change the fact that if I join you, this garden will be destroyed." With that, he once more turned away but Ash stepped forward angrily.

"And what if you don't join us?!" Ash yelled out, although nobody heard him but Arceus and Darkrai in the quieted garden. "Don't you think that if you join them or simply remain neutral that this place would still be in danger?! I understand that you think that by joining us the other legendary Pokemon will attack this beautiful garden but if you don't then this place may still become a battlefield!"

"What are you saying?" Darkrai said, now facing Ash with the intent of listening to him. Ash breathed it heavily.

"What I'm saying is that, yes, the garden may be attacked if you join us but, unlike the other side, we care about all the people and Pokemon in this world. So, we'll do our best to protect it to the very last." Ash said this imploringly, staring straight at Darkrai. "So, please, join us." There was a moment in which there was absolute silence in the garden but for the wind whistling through the trees. Darkrai then faced Arceus.

"Very well. I will come." Darkrai said and Arceus nodded.

"Excellent. You will come with me. We head to base, Ash, I believe you know the way?" Arceus said, glancing sideways at Ash.

"Spear Pillar, right?" Ash asked and Arceus nodded. "I got it!" With that, Arceus opened a portal and both he and Darkrai ventured into it. With a quick look around, Ash created his own portal and stepped through it, moments later emerging in Spear Pillar. All at once, Ash was shocked by how filled the location was. Legendaries of every type from every region filled the place and Ash didn't even have a moment to take everything in before a familiar but impossible voice reached his ears.

"Ash, it is good to see you again." came the gruff voice and Ash took a step back when he realized who it was.

"L-Lucario! What are you doing here?!" Ash exclaimed and it seemed that Lucario was about to speak when Arceus suddenly intervened.

"A topic that will be discussed in full at a later time. But first, Ash, welcome to the Council of Legendaries." Arceus faced all the Pokemon that were surrounding the area and, all at once, they turned to face Ash and look at him. Now Ash was able to look at all of them. Although, just to confirm in his mind that all of them were really there, he said their names aloud, almost as if asking them to confirm their presence there.

First was Mew, bobbing along in midair, flipping over itself, chasing its tail. When it acknowledged Ash it giggled happily, remembering Pikachu, and asking if he was okay. At first, Ash was partially surprised to hear Mew speak but then he remembered that he had taken to constantly having aura run through his body so as to understand Pokemon speech. Ash moved on to Mewtwo, leaning lazily against one of the pillars in the room, nodding slowly at Ash as he acknowledged him. Following that was Lugia, whose wide berth took up much of Spear Pillar with some other Pokemon. After that were both Celebi and Suicune both of whom were actually quite happy and pleased to see Ash alive. Ash moved on to Latias who Ash smiled at before seeing Jirachi and Manaphy playing together in joy. Near them, setting in what seemed to be a sort of artificial ocean was Kyogre who rested peacefully. Ash, of course, acknowledged both Lucario and Darkrai before seeing Shaymin who climbed on top of Ash's head. When Ash finally dislodged the Pokemon he caught sight of both Dialga and Giratina…but Palkia was missing.

"Okay, so where's Palkia?" Ash asked suddenly, noticing that only that one member of the trio was missing.

_With the enemy._ Giratina responded. Ash dipped his head down. A strand of his blonde hair fell in front of his face and he decided the color was nuisance. With his fingers running through his hair, he changed the color back to black and decided to ask the next most important question.

"So who's on the enemy side then?" Ash asked and Mewtwo was the one who responded.

"Intelligence reveals that all three of Zapdos, Articuno, and Moltres are with the enemy." Mewtwo said and Ash gave him a look that, if looks could be, was filled with sarcasm.

"Yeah, I figured that one out when they destroyed Cycling Road." Ash said. "Lugia, I thought you had control over them."

"Your encounter with the Rocket Four shattered the hold that the trio masters had on the other Pokemon. Our power is now our own as is theirs." Lugia said and Ash turned back to Mewtwo, hoping to gain more information on the enemy forces.

"Going on, both Entei and Raikou are among the enemy along with Groudon. Furthermore, every single Regi has joined them, from Regirock to Regigigas." Ash was taken aback by this. That the three Regis would seek to harm humans…even after they had been friends with one. It was unfathomable. "Also, Palkia, Deoxys, and Heatran have joined the other side."

"Okay, what about the Lake Guardians?" As asked and now Arceus chose to answer, picking up the thread of the conversation.

"On our side but from a distance. They're looking through the lakes and allowing us to know what must be done." Arceus said and Ash quickly began running through the list of all the legendaries that he knew in his head.

"Cresselia? Rayquaza? Ho-oh?" Ash asked in quick succession and Arceus answered about each of them in turn.

"Cresselia is currently contemplating our offer. In the meantime she is outracing all of the enemy forces. I would hope she will join us soon. Rayquaza, meanwhile, is attempting to remain neutral but…well, I fear he will slide towards the enemy forces soon, so we've made preparations for that. As for Ho-oh…no one has seen it for around three years now." Ash gave a start. Three years…then that must have meant he was the last one to see Ho-oh before it disappeared. "As for what may be your next two questions, the other legendaries that roam the wild are not taking sides and are, to any extent, attempting to hide from all recruitment. I would hope however, though, that their slight bond with humans in the wild may convince them to our side before war's end. And as for regular wild Pokemon…only a few have taken notice, and even fewer have joined up."

"Sounds great…or it sounds like we could be in trouble real soon. What about the Pokemon League, have they taken action yet?" Ash asked and Arceus shook his head.

"The threat has not yet grown substantial but I fear that, even with our efforts, it can only get worse." Arceus said. "We have been attempting to recruit as well as to find their base of operations. As you can see here, we've closed Spear Pillar off so it will be a little harder to find us. But this won't be enough."

"And that's where I come into play, right?" Ash said with a grin and a murmur of assent went through the group.

"Precisely. You're the thing we need to affect this war in the greatest way possible. Unfortunately, I don't feel you're ready quite yet to go back. There are still some things you must need know before you proceed to meet with people who believe you are still dead."

"Really? No charging in with Aura Spheres blazing?!" Ash asked, slightly disappointed that he would be forced to wait even more to go back to his friends after three long years.

"I'd go with Aura Weapon before you're ready to head back." said an unfamiliar voice and Ash turned around to face another human. He wore blue gloves that looked vaguely familiar to Ash and a costume that Ash had once worn…but, like Lucario, it was impossible that he were here.

"You're Sir Aaron…how…how are you alive?" Ash asked. His head was reeling. He was having far too much information put into his brain at the moment. Arceus chuckled loudly and decided to answer Ash's long unanswered question.

"Simple. I brought both Aaron and Lucario back. Without them we would only have two aura users, you and Mewtwo, and unfortunately you are the only one of us who can control it fully. You see, Ash, when the two turned into crystal and disappeared they became part of the Tree of Beginning. I separated them and recreated them. They're as real as you or me…" Arceus said, and at this point, Aaron took over.

"Mostly, Arceus wanted me to train you in the remaining facets of aura that he could not teach you. I'll be training you." Aaron said with a smile and Ash nodded. Somehow though, a smile began to form across his face. Maybe it was the thought that he would have a human companion…or the thought that he wasn't alone anymore in general. But whatever it was, he faced Aaron with a grin.

"When do we start?"

**

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Author's Note: Yes, Ash is back. Too many of you guessed and believed that…still, never assume anything. That was merely obvious because I WANTED it to be. Don't expect the same treatment in the future. As for why I brought Ash back so early…well, the main reason is because he NEEDS to be there. I have the entirety of this book planned out so it's really just a matter of writing it. Now, what will happen in the future, you'll see. I want to thank all of you for the extraordinary amount of reviews on the last chapter and I hope you'll continue to do so because 11 reviews in one chapter is too amazing. So this time, remember to REVIEW (in particular about the battles) and Dare to Be Silly.**


	4. Is There A Chosen One?

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pokemon or the beginning of a certain prophecy. However, all plot is indeed my own even if the characters are not.**

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Is There A Chosen One?

Delia Ketchum sat down at the TV in her living room, making sure not to disturb the contently slumbering Pikachu that was lying on the couch. She smiled at the small electric mouse as its chest heaved softly as it slept. Somehow, Pikachu had been sleeping very well these past few days, since the start of the tag battle in fact. Delia smiled as she thought on the events of the tag battle. It was a happy thing for her to see her son remembered so greatly in these times. The tag battle had just finished early this morning, the final battle took over an hour long into the very early hours of the morning the night before. It was a spectacular battle in any right and in the end, the two trainers named Ethan and Gold came out as the victors. After that, the children (not that Brock was really a child anymore) went to sleep.

Delia herself had, of course, gone to sleep, but she was used to waking up early and getting started on things. She quickly reached a hand over and started scratching behind Pikachu's ears while the usual small clanging from the kitchen meant that Mimey was getting started for the day. Blearily, she rubbed her eyes to clear her vision before grabbing the remote off the nearby table and turning the TV on. All at once, a special news report flashed across the screen.

"Reporting live from Ecruteak City, it appears that the Squirtle Squad just finished dousing the fire which today consumed the Bell Tower." came the voice of a female reporter on the TV screen, her black hair shifting to the side with her body to show the now smoldering tower. Mrs. Ketchum sat up at this and peered at the TV as she heard shuffling from upstairs indicating that the guests were up. "It is, unfortunately known what caused the destruction of this beloved Ecruteak icon when Raikou and Entei appeared this morning, sending bolts of lightning raining down this morning along with a torrent of fire. A similar report also seems to have come from the Hoenn region where it is claimed that observers from Pacifidlog Town saw Sky Pillar, a testament to the legendary Pokemon of Rayquaza, crumbled today under the force of the four 'Regis'." The reporters picture then shifted to take up only half the screen while an anchorman took up the other half. "Jim, over to you."

"Thanks, Christine." Jim, the anchorman said and now the whole TV was filled with his picture. "Obviously all of these recent events have many people on edge and as such, Pokemon researchers have been hard at work studying the phenomena. With me now is Professor Birch from Littleroot Town who has agreed to shed some light. Professor, why do you think these legendaries are acting in such a strange manner?" Professor Birch, with his rough beard scratched it and cleared his throat.

"Well, it is very difficult to explain exactly why these events are occurring but it is clear that the legendary Pokemon have had some kind of upset with humans that have caused them to do this. If the reports are correct, I would have to believe it may have something to do with the events of three years ago at Mount Coronet."

"Oh? What do you mean by that professor?" asked the reporter and Professor Birch pulled out a small dry erase board showing a picture of Mount Coronet.

"As many people know, Mount Coronet is the very center of the Sinnoh region and is indeed the source of many legends regarding the Pokemon Dialga, Palkia, and the recently discovered Giratina. Whatever happens there sends a tremor through the Sinnoh region which will then spread to other regions."

"Like ripples on a pond, right?" the anchorman asked and Professor Birch nodded his head solemnly.

"Exactly like that. The official report stated that this Rocket Four obtained control of the legendaries albeit for a short time. Therefore, it would be completely feasible to believe that some of these legendaries, possibly all of them harbor some hatred and anger for humanity." Professor Birch concluded and the anchorman sat back in his chair in complete shock, bringing a finger to his chin.

"All because of a few humans, you really think they would hate us all?" he asked nervously and Professor Birch merely shrugged before opting to go on and continue explaining himself.

"It's hard to tell. Remember that Pokemon are very in tune with nature, much more than we humans are. Perhaps it is that we humans are causing death to this world…or it could be that something is inciting these legendaries. Whatever it may be, people are dying by these legendaries and they're wreaking havoc. Even we Pokemon professors don't know the exact reason and I'm almost scared to find out."

"Well, thank you very much professor Birch." the anchorman said and he began to turn away but stopped himself. "Professor, regarding the attacks this morning: why do you think the legendaries struck those particular locations?"

"Hard to say for sure…" Birch mused. "I can only wager a guess. Bell Tower is home to Ho-oh and Sky Pillar is where Rayquaza rests when it leaves the ozone. Perhaps they are attempting to recruit more legendaries. But as I said, it's merely speculation." the reporter nodded and now finished turning back towards the audience again.

"Well, there you have it, professor Birch on the events circulating around the regions. In related news, President Goodshow of the Pokemon League, now finished with the Ash Ketchum Memorial Tag Battle, has called a meeting to convene Cynthia, Steven Stone, and Lance; the champions of their respective regions in a conference to discuss what is currently going on. We'll have more on that as news progresses."

"What's that?" came Brock's deep voice from behind Mrs. Ketchum and she gave a quick jump, not realizing that he had come downstairs while she was engrossed in the news report.

"News break. Apparently Bell Tower and Sky Pillar were attacked." Mrs. Ketchum said, standing up quickly to assist Mimey in the kitchen. Pikachu felt her move from the couch and woke up, his ears twitching and his nose wiggling as he smelled food from the kitchen.

"Pika!" Pikachu cried out and bounded from the couch and began running for the kitchen only to slam into a large blue object.

"Pip piplup…" Piplup said as he held his head. Dawn bent down and scooped up Piplup with a yawn. Pikachu shook his head and started running back to the kitchen.

"Morning Mrs. Ketchum…" Dawn said tiredly and Delia gave her a smile and a cheery good morning as she walked into the kitchen. Brock finally spoke again before Mrs. Ketchum could run off at all.

"Bell Tower?" Brock asked before Misty came down the stairs and answered his question for him, allowing Mrs. Ketchum to quickly get to work in the kitchen.

"Remember the Tin Tower in Ecruteak City?" Misty asked as she finished putting her red hair into her traditional side ponytail…although at this point she was realizing that it was too long to do it very effectively. Brock nodded at her question and Misty smiled. "Same place. They just changed the name a couple years back." Misty and Brock then walked into the kitchen as they heard Max walking down the stairs behind them. Unfortunately for them, the look on his face was anything less than unpleasant.

"Bad night Max?" Dawn asked, now wide awake as she poured syrup all over her pancakes. Max just scowled. Misty chuckled at the look on his face.

"I would say more of a bad morning." Misty said as a plate of pancakes was placed in front of her as well as Brock and Max. May and Drew were still yet to have come down that morning. "Was it Drew?" At the mere mention of the coordinator's name, his pancakes found themselves on the receiving end of a vicious stab that caused Dawn to jump and Brock to chuckle. Pikachu looked up at Max while chewing on his pancakes. He cocked his head to the side with a confused "Pika?" before going back to eating.

"I would take it you hit the nail on the head, Misty?" Brock said and he turned to his own pancakes. Footsteps came from behind him and Brock turned his head to see May, tousle haired and tired stumbling into the room, Drew following behind her, his green hair already perfect and himself looking not nearly as shabby as the girl he had entered the room with. Max suddenly stood up from his chair which caused Pikachu to dodge the flying chair leg.

"Mrs. Ketchum, do you mind if I use the backyard for some training?" Max asked and Mrs. Ketchum just waved in its general direction, indicating that she didn't mind. Max shot a venomous look at May's companion and left the room as his sister sat down. She herself shot an odd glance at her brother's retreating back but paid it no mind.

"So…how…how's everybody this moooooorning?" May said with a yawn and each of them shrugged. There was nothing to say, especially since everybody was focusing on their breakfast. As Misty watched May and Drew eat she leaned in towards Brock.

"Brock, I think you should talk to Max about this." Misty said and Brock nodded solemnly. But for now there was nothing to be said as he finished eating his breakfast and prepared to once more head off for Professor Oak's lab. Max joined them just as they were leaving the house. Misty looked at him worriedly before voicing her concerns aloud. "Max, did you eat breakfast at all?"

"Of course, no trainer should go on an empty stomach." Max said, fixing his glasses on the bridge of his nose. Misty shook her head. He was sounding like Ash more and more everyday. "Besides, I'm planning on getting some more training in before I battle you again. Dawn, can I use you and Piplup as a sparring partner."

"You know Max, you could always use me as a sparring partner. I happen to know a thing or two and you _are_ May's sister." Drew said slightly haughtily. Dawn rolled her eyes, Brock gave a small cough, and Misty slapped her palm to her forehead. Max's demeanor instantly changed as he faced Drew with a frosty glare.

"No thank you." Max said, his eyes glinting underneath his glasses. May decided to quickly intervene in the situation.

"Okay…Drew, can I talk to you?" May said and quickly grabbed Drew by his jacket. And despite all of his protests, she dragged him off forcefully. Max glared after the spot they were receeding to and when they were out of earshot, May opened up on Drew. "Be more careful!" she hissed.

"What? I was just offering to practice with him?" Drew asked with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Look…Max isn't exactly warming up to you. He still remembers how snottily you treated me when we met, okay?" May heaved a sigh. "He's just being my brother. And, I let you come along because well…because…" May suddenly became tongue tied and couldn't find the words. A blush crept onto both her and Drew's faces. "Just…be careful…yeah…"

-CT-

"I got it Gramps, I got it!" Gary Oak yelled in frustration at his nagging grandfather. He ran his fingers through his hair as his grandfather sat opposite him in the lab with wistful eyes. Professor Oak sighed deeply, the tired and worn look showing ever more deeply on his eyes.

"Gary, I'm just looking out for your well being. I know you don't _want_ to stay at the lab forever…" Professor Oak attempted to tell him but his grandson didn't want to hear any of it. He once more ran his hand through his brown hair as he cut his grandfather off.

"Then why are you trying to keep me here? You know I like working in the field." Gary said agitatedly and Professor Oak shook his head sadly as his grandson waited for his response. When it seemed that Professor Oak was not going to answer right away Gary kept going onward. "Why can't you just have Tracy take over the lab? And don't give me any of this legacy bullcrap!" Gary's voice had heightened in anger and Samuel Oak flinched at the sight of it.

"You know very well that Tracy wants to move away and start his own lab." Professor Oak said with a sad sigh and a heavy face. "He's planning to move to Cerulean and open up a lab there in a few years once he feels he truly has enough knowledge to do so." At this, Gary was silent, saying nothing to his grandfather. "I'm sorry Gary."

"For what?" Gary snapped. He had no idea why he was truly angry about this but he certainly felt like snapping at _someone_. Professor Oak massaged his temple and took some deep breaths.

"I know you don't like being cooped up here and I only want you to be happy but…I'm not going to be around forever and I just want to make sure that someone can take over the lab for me when I'm gone."

"I know that gramps…" Gary said in a sigh of defeat. He didn't say anymore but Professor Oak's heart went out to his grandson.

"Look, it's been hard since your parents died when you were little and I only want what's best for you. You do see that don't you?" Gary nodded in acceptance as the doorbell to the lab rang loudly. "And that would be Brock and the others."

"Yeah." Gary turned to leave the small room that the both of them were sequestered in. But Professor Oak had stood up with amazing speed and put a hand on his grandson's shoulder.

"We'll finish talking later?" he asked him but Gary merely shrugged and exited the room. Professor Oak followed after him with a sigh. He strode purposefully to the front door as Gary sat down to do some research work at the computer. He quickly opened the door with some small effort to see the smiling (or at least, mostly so) faces of Ash's friends. Without words exchanged, Professor Oak stood aside and let them in. Almost immediately Max and Dawn rushed to the back to begin their training whilst Professor Oak looked behind both Brock and Misty to see that May and Drew were nowhere in sight.

"Morning Professor." Misty said politely and Professor Oak uttered a word of good morning to her as well.

"Where are May and Drew this morning?" Professor Oak asked, also prompting a look and wave from Gary over at them. Misty and Brock looked at each other knowingly.

"Uh…they got…sidetracked…" Brock said tentatively, earning a snort from Gary at the computer. Misty cracked a small smile at that. "Anyway, Professor, I wanted to ask you something."

"Ask away, Brock, I hope my knowledge will be able to help you. After all, Knowledge can help and so can truth, Just like in a battle does Pikachu!" Misty once again smacked her forehead when Dawn briefly poked her head inside the building.

"Wow! Professor Oak just said another poem!" Dawn said and everyone chuckled nervously.

"Right…did you see the new this morning?" Brock asked, but instead of Professor Oak answering it was Gary who responded.

"No…he was too busy talking to me about the future of the lab." Gary said with a slight grimace to his face and to his voice. Professor Oak sent his grandson a sharp and stern glance.

"Gary, we said we would talk about that later." Professor Oak hissed out and Gary shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. Professor Oak turned back to them, ready to explain now that the cat was out of the bag. "You see, I'm _trying_ to have Gary take over the lab since Tracy will be going to Cerulean in a few years to set up his own lab…and frankly, I can't do research for much longer without hurting myself."

"Why's Tracy going to Cerulean?" Brock asked, a little confused. Misty giggled beside him, drawing all of their gazes on to her.

"Daisy…she's taken quite a shine to him whenever he stops by." Misty said. "So, last month Daisy announced to Violet, Lily, and I that in a few years she was planning to help Tracy by moving to his new lab with him. They should just say they're engaged and be done with it."

"Tracy's a little young to get married though, isn't he?" Brock asked with a chuckle and Misty simple did a nod-shake of her head as the door to the backyard slid open and the object of their conversation strode in.

"Professor, I finished feeding all the Pokemon. Ash's Pokemon have certainly gotten more rambunctious as of late." Tracy said and everyone gave slight coughs, facing away from Tracy as their faces reddened in embarrassment.

"Anyway, Brock, you wanted to ask me something. What was on the news this morning?" Professor Oak asked and Brock took a moment to figure out what he wanted to ask before he finally remembered.

"Oh, right. I didn't see it directly but Mrs. Ketchum told us that Sky Pillar and Bell Tower were attacked by legendaries this morning. They say Professor Birch made some comments about it this morning but I was wondering if you might know what's going on." Brock asked and Professor Oak led them all over to the computer where Gary stood up as his grandfather sat down. With the flick of some fingers some files were open and Professor Oak quickly read about the occurrences of that morning.

"Hmmm…strange…" he mumbled out when Misty decided to voice her own question.

"Why are they attacking anyway?" Misty said but Gary scoffed next to her.

"I think the better question now is, how do you stop them from attacking?" Gary said and Misty agreed with him quickly. Professor Oak swiveled his chair around to face them all.

"Let's think. How did this begin? The attacks, I mean." The question was a good one and all of them could remember it, even if none of them had been there.

"With the destruction of Cycling Road by Zapdos, Moltres, and Articuno. But what does it matter how this all started?" Brock asked and Professor Oak wagged a finger in front of him.

"The beginning can always lead us on a road to the future." Professor Oak said before turning back to the computer and typing in Zapdos, Moltres, and Articuno. "Hmm…nothing of real interest here. There's the Shamouti prophecy but, if memory serves me correctly, that was finished quite a long time ago." Professor Oak continued searching through articles, hoping to find something. After a minute or two, all of them were beginning to think the search fruitless until Professor Oak's brow furrowed deeply.

"What is it, Professor?" Tracy asked and Professor Oak clicked on a file. The picture suddenly enlarged itself.

"Strange. This seems to be almost a carbon copy of the Shamouti prophecy…but it's longer. Not only that but…they say it was discovered elsewhere, far away." Professor Oak scrutinized the article that came with the picture. "The archaeologists who discovered it aid it may be from some long lost civilization but all other trace of their existence has not been found at all."

"What's the prophecy say?" Misty asked and Professor Oak cleared his throat, prepared to read the prophecy aloud before deciding against it and simply enlarging the translation that was given in the article since the prophecy was in an olden language, from before the symbols of the Unown were used.

_Disturb not the harmony of fire, ice, or lightning_

_Lest these titans wreak destruction_

_On the world in which they clash._

_Though the water's great guardian_

_Will arise to quell the fighting,_

_Alone its song shall fail,_

_Thus the earth shall turn to Ash._

_O, Chosen One, bring together all three,_

_Their treasures combined tame the beast of the sea: Lugia._

_But though new peace shall reign,_

_The fighting come to an end._

_The conflict will continue,_

_Two sides not made amends._

_The war that will erupt, the battle that is to come,_

_Requires the power of an aura seeker,_

_Resting in you, the Chosen One._

_Fight the battles, sing the song,_

_Or woe to us all, the world be gone._

"Chosen One…?" Gary mused and Misty turned to Tracy, locking eyes with him. They knew something about that, but said nothing as Gary kept going. "If this thing is a war, which I'll note, it's not, then our fate rests in the hands of Chosen One to save us all."

"I don't know Gary, I had heard the Pokemon League is calling a conference to deal with the threat. That sounds like they're preparing for war to me." Brock said and Gary quickly waved his comment aside.

"Either way. How are we supposed to know this Chosen One? And if he doesn't even know he is, then it sounds like we're doomed huh?"

"Ash was the Chosen One." Misty blurted out and Brock, Gary, and Professor Oak turned to look at her. "The Shamouti Prophecy. It was Ash who fulfilled it. He was the Chosen One."

"But…Ashy Boy's gone." Gary said and Misty nodded solemnly. All at once the thought hit them. Only the Chosen One could stop whatever was happening, if what was happening was indeed inscribed on the tablet. But if Ash was the Chosen One and he was dead…what, in the end, did it mean for them?

**

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Author's Note: I am SO terribly sorry for taking so long to post but finals were going on, I had lots of homework and I was kind of playing Final Fantasy XIII for about a hundred hours…so…yeah. I know, it was short, but I'll make it up to you next chapter. Either way, you may not have noticed (obviously) but I'm already setting up for the third book of which the title is indeed "The Burdened Ones". Figure it out if you can…I dare you. By the by, we will, by the end have a max of ten VERY main characters (not including whatever antagonists I'll drum up) and if you can figure them all out, congrats. That being said, I hope you enjoyed this chapter so please REVIEW! You guys have been great on this story for giving reviews and I hope that my month absence won't effect it. So yeah, review, and answer the new poll that I have up on my profile page. In the meantime, Dare to Be Silly.**


	5. Here Comes the Finale

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own any Pokemon at all unfortunately.**

* * *

Here Comes the Finale

"Ow." came Ash's exclamation as his butt hit the stone floor of an offshoot cave in Mount Coronet. Ash quickly scratched the back of his head in frustration as the man in front of him arched his eyebrows in Ash's direction. That was already the third time today. Ash's eyes wandered over to the shimmering pale blue sword lying a few feet away from him. The sword which, just moments before, had been knocked out of his hand; indicating once again that Aaron had beaten him in a sparring match. Aaron walked over to Ash and held his hand out to the young man. Ash took it and was helped up.

"You're getting better." Aaron stated simply and Ash scowled.

"Yeah, but clearly not good enough to beat you." Ash said and Aaron laughed heartily, clapping his young "apprentice" on the back.

"Ash, that you've made it this far in so small a time is in and of itself remarkable. I mean, Arceus said that you would break every learning curve set up for you but this…" Aaron saw the still disgruntled look on Ash's face and decided to opt for a different tactic. "Look, to beat someone with my standard, someone with as much control over aura as I have you would need to have spent _years_ upon _years_ training."

"Yeah, and if I'm the Chosen One who's supposed to save the world with Aura, how am I gonna do that when I can't beat the one guy who's training me?" Ash snapped and Aaron sighed at the small outburst.

"Ash, remember that very few Pokemon have the use of aura mastered, and indeed even less of humans. You already have an extreme advantage in the battles to come. Think back." Aaron said before Ash could cut him off again and Ash promptly shut his mouth with a grimace. "Think on the training we've learned and taught you in the past week. Think how you've excelled." Ash nodded solemnly and closed his eyes to remember all of the events that he had been training for in the past week since he had arrived at Spear Pillar.

_"So…what do you know about Aura that Arceus didn't know?" Ash asked, wondering what new things he would be learning. He was always an eager boy, ready to rush into things even if he didn't know exactly what the future ahead would hold. Aaron swept the hat from his head and threw it across the room. With a sharp and sudden flare of blue in his eyes, the hat slowed its descent due to gravity and lowered neatly to the ground. The look on Ash's face was of pure intrigue._

_ "Ooh…psychic…ness?" Ash asked, his look changing to one of confusion. Aaron let off a short laugh._

_ "No. Psychics can manipulate the objects they want to doing whatever they want." Aaron said. "With aura, we cannot."_

_ "Shame…having psychic powers would have been cool." But then Ash remembered Sabrina at the Saffron Gym and repressed a shudder. "You know what? Never mind. So what do we do with aura then?"_

_ "Well, the trick I just demonstrated there isn't really of much use but it was quite simple. I just surrounded my hat with aura and controlled the aura around it to lower it to the ground." Aaron indicated to his hat as he said this. But we have far more important conventions to study than moving objects."_

_ "All right, fine, way to kill the fun." Ash said with a scrunched nose. Aaron would have been tempted to laugh, had it not been time for business. Ash dropped the look and decided to await Aaron's instruction. Aaron nodded and proceeded onward._

_ "From what I've gathered you've mastered a few conventions. For instance, sensing things with aura, the aura sphere, the aura shield, as well as transferring the power of aura into Pokemon. These are all well and good but I think we need to take it a step further if we are to ensure your maximum usefulness in this war."_

_ "Usefulness…makes me seem like a tool." Ash said with a hint of anger tossed into his voice. Aaron waved his hand in front of himself to deny the notion and Ash just let it slide, just like he did with most things._

_ "I think discussion at this point is irrelevant. You seem more of the person to get things with an on-hand experience of course." Aaron straightened out his gloves before turning to face Ash. Ash glanced at the gloves. Those gloves had been on him the first time he had consciously used aura. Ironic that they were now to be used in order to mentor him. "I believe that Arceus has mentioned to you the concept of mind reading, no?"_

_ "Um, yeah, but that was a long time ago, you can't really expect me to remember that. I can barely remember that ten times ten would equal a hundred." Aaron opened his mouth to answer but Ash cut across him. "Yes, I know I just remembered that, but that isn't the point!"_

_ "Ash!" Aaron yelled sharply and Ash sheepishly turned his attention to him. "Shut up."_

_ "Shutting up." Ash said, and bowed his head in disgrace. Aaron now once more cleared his threat._

_ "Going on, you've heard about mind reading but I would suppose that you have yet to practice it. I'm not going to make you do so now since I keep my defenses up at all times regardless."_

_ "Er…defenses?" Ash asked with an amused look on his face. "Didn't know you could defend against mind reading." Aaron gave him a knowing look._

_ "Of course you can. I guess part of that explanation would come from explaining exactly how mind reading works." Aaron said, now beginning to pace in front of Ash as he delved into his explanation. "Mind reading is very similar to sensing things with aura but on a more concise level. For example, when you sense things with aura you can feel what's there and what isn't. To read another's mind you focus in on a particular _living_ object and on their aura. If all goes well, your aura will temporarily, and then only partially, merge with their own. From that moment you should be able to feel and know all that is within them."_

_ "So what if it 'doesn't go well'?" Ash asked and Aaron rolled his head around slightly before answering._

_ "Well, it is very rare that someone proficient in aura would be unable to read another's mind but there are moments. For instance, as quite a capable user of aura myself, I have built mine up so that none may read my mind." Aaron explained this to him and Ash suddenly thought of something._

_ "Aaron, if nobody uses aura then why would you keep your defenses up?" Ash asked and Aaron's pointed glared caused him to shut his mouth. "Sorry, stupid question."_

_ "Do remember that I come from a time where aura guardians were only just starting to dwindle." Aaron stated with a force behind his words. "In either case, normal people can't set up those kinds of defenses. But when they are feeling a particular extreme degree of emotion then they will push you out of their mind. Usually it stems from anger, sadness, despair, the like."_

_ "Wait a minute…Sheena and Damos…" Ash mused, remembering his time in Michina Town._

_ "Beg pardon?" Ash didn't answer his mentor and thought for a minute._

_ "On my travels, I met two people, both related. This was when I met Arceus and, well, they tried to connect their hearts with Arceus. But he was so angry they were pushed away." Ash's musings came to an end and he directed a question at Aaron. "Were they using aura?"_

_ "I don't know either of those people, Ash, but from what you've told me, then yes, it is possible that they were using aura." Aaron answered. "Then it really would be redundant to see mind reading in action. And so, we will move on to a more lucrative field of combat."_

_ "Combat?" Ash yelled out exasperatedly and Aaron didn't respond with an answer but rather plowed on ahead._

_ "There are various things that must be understood about aura and combat. One of them is that you can use aura to heal." Aaron said. Ash's tension about combat deflated and he nodded slowly. "Healing, like mind reading, is based off of something you yourself have already learned. In this case it would be very similar to imbuing a Pokemon with your own power."_

_ "Not quite following you." Ash said, whose mind was already losing steam, as it usually did in this situations. Aaron paused and thought about how best to proceed with his instruction._

_ "To heal, you need to focus in on a particular point and start pouring your aura into that wound, willing it to close. If you are successful, you can heal it. However, healing does have its boundaries and will tire you out should you attempt it for long enough. Likewise, this also means that you should never try to bring people back from the dead unless you are willing to give up your life itself."_

_ "Give healing like power. Don't do it too much. Don't bring people back from the dead. Got it." Ash confirmed with the aura guardian who smiled and slid out a small knife from the folds of his robe. Before Ash could stop the man he had cut himself on his arm. Aaron quickly thrust the wound towards him._

_ "Heal it." Aaron demanded and Ash gaped for a moment. But the look on Aaron's face was unwavering and Ash extended his hand, his palm held over the wound. He closed his eyes and focused his mind on filling the wound with power, and thus healing. He felt the warmth of aura come from his hand and when he opened his eyes again, the wound was gone, a faint line the only indication it was ever there. Aaron examined it. "Adequate."_

_ "Adequate? I nailed that!" Ash said with triumph but Aaron said nothing._

_ "Arceus was right about you breaking the learning curve. Most aura users would take _years_ to master that single art that you mastered in five minutes." Ash beamed at the man who turned away from him and cleared his throat. "Now for the final lesson." Ash waited patiently but no more words came out of Aaron's mouth. For a second, Ash was worried until Aaron held his hand above his head, and in a flash of blue light, a familiar looking staff appeared._

_ "What the-wait-how did you-?" Ash stumbled out and Aaron turned to him with a smile._

_ "Aura Weapon." Aaron responded before he caught Ash's eyes staring at the staff in his hands. "Ah, yes, my staff. I've no doubt you've seen and held it before." Ash nodded and Aaron answered him with a chuckle, leaning his staff up against the craggy walls of Mount Coronet. "Every person on the planet, versed in aura or not, has within them what we call an aura weapon. It goes without saying, despite the fact I will say it, that only those who can use aura can summon these weapons. My staff is mine…and since I can see the question you are going to ask, I will indeed answer it. Yes, this was the staff you saw at Cameran Palace. I separated it almost permanently from my body when I went to the Tree of Beginning. I knew what I was going to do and so I never recalled it, trapping Lucario inside in the meantime. It never disappeared because its master never called it back. When I came back, this changed. I have no doubt in my mind that the palace is most likely in an uproar due to the fact that this staff is missing."_

_ "So…I can summon one of those too?" Ash asked, pointing at the object in question._

_ "Yes, although your weapon will be different from mine as we _are_ different people." Aaron waved his hand and his staff reappeared in his hands. "Summoning your aura weapon is simple actually. All you are doing is giving your aura a tangible form. All you need do is focus on your aura forming a distinct object. Don't linger on any one particular object, your aura will take care of that for you. Following that, you'll have your tangible weapon. Don't forget then that this weapon is a part of you and can only be used by your hands. You can call it back at any time so long as you will it. Now, enough lecture."_

_ "Right…summon aura weapon." Once again, Ash held out his hand and focused on forming his aura into a tangible object. A blue shimmer formed around his hands but before long he dropped it, gasping for breath. "I…I can't…"_

_ "Nonsense. Focus." Aaron said no more, but he had no need to as Ash delved inside of himself for a well of strength. Once more the blue glow emerged, but after Ash focused more, the aura started taking a distinct form. A few seconds later and the light of Ash's aura receded to show a blue sword held in his hands. "A sword…ironic. The Chosen One to be a true warrior indeed." Ash felt the sword over. It was simple, with a blue hilt that could have been made of no more than wood, but yet was tougher than diamond. The blade itself was also fancy in no way. With little effort, Ash suddenly dismissed the blade._

_ "I can't use that. I can't fight people or Pokemon and I really can't bring myself to…kill them." Ash said, his head hanging low. Aaron placed a hand on his shoulder._

_ "Fear not. For one thing, as an aura guardian I was quite skilled in combat myself, and I will teach you. As for your fear of killing Pokemon. Aura is based upon your will. Strike with that sword to kill, and it will. Strike with it to faint your opponent, and it will do that instead. So you see, it is your will that counts." Ash smiled at him and Aaron walked away, taking the position opposite him in the room. "So let's begin."_

"Yeah, yeah, all right, I got it." Ash said with a faint grin and Aaron nodded.

"Then let's go again shall we. And remember, focus!" Ash gave a thumbs up and summoned his sword back into his hand. True, he couldn't beat Aaron yet, but his progress in not only mastering aura but also using it in combat had been startling, even to him. Ash crouched his body into a fighting stance and Aaron held his staff in front of him, as if in challenge. Ash took a step forward and both he and Aaron suddenly fell down, a rumbling noise filling their ears.

"What's going on?" Ash yelled out over the din. Aaron plunged his staff into the ground and picked himself up before helping his student up. He glanced around agitatedly.

"No idea. Let's go." Aaron ran ahead of Ash and out of the room but Ash quickly caught up with him and kept a decent pace. As they turned a corridor of Mount Coronet that led to Spear Pillar, smoke reached their lungs. Aaron erected an aura shield around them to protect them from it and they quickly made their way to Spear Pillar. The sight upon entering was one of mass chaos: wild Golbat were flying everywhere, attacking the legendaries. Ash chanced a peek to outside the hall and saw three hulking forms that he presumed were their enemies. "Lucario!"

"Sir Aaron!" came the gruff voice of Ash and Aaron's friend.

"What's going on?" Aaron asked and Lucario whipped his head toward the exit and then back towards Aaron.

"The enemy is attacking. Dialga reported that it is Palkia, Deoxys and Groudon." Lucario responded before summoning two Aura Spheres and firing them off at the Golbat. Aaron looked to Ash but Ash wasn't paying attention. A Golbat had flown near his head, and without hesitation, the young trainer had fired an Aura Sphere at it. Aaron said nothing, and plunged into battle beside him. Arceus' voice was suddenly heard from behind them.

"Shaymin, Mew, Celebi, Manaphy, Jirachi, hold that barrier!" Arceus cried and the four smallest legendaries of the group glowed with power, a green paling that was erected between their side and the enemies strengthening. The Golbat that were then attempting to slip through suddenly bounced off, giving their forces a chance to hold off the already infiltrated Golbat. Ash swiped his sword upward at a cluster of Golbat. He managed to knock two of them out but the rest merely broke apart.

_Earthquake, incoming!_ cried the voice of Kyogre and everyone steeled themselves for the attack that the Sea Basin Pokemon had felt. Ash, Aaron, and Lucario erected shields around themselves to reduce the tremors and, as soon as it had started, it had ended. Lugia flew overhead as their paling lowered, firing an Aeroblast at the opposing forces. As soon as the orange beam hit outside of the cavern, the green shield once more activated again. The Golbat in the room were thinning out, to Ash's relief. Aaron quickly took off for the paling and Ash followed after him. A sudden blast at the shield sent a slight force to go rippling through the area, throwing Ash onto his butt.

As Ash looked up at the shield he saw a number of Deoxys attack the shield. realizing that Deoxys was using its Double Team attack in Attack Forme, Ash aimed an Aura Sphere at the shield but Suicune leapt past him as he prepared to do so, firing an Ice Beam from its mouth. I ice phased through the shield and struck Deoxys head on. The Pokemon retreated before the hulking form of Palkia appeared, summoning its own pink aura sphere in its hands. The sphere let loose, striking the shield and driving through it. With a sudden wrenching sound, the paling shattered and the sphere sailed towards the four who were supporting it.

"Ash, duck!" Aaron commanded, not looking at him. Ash merely let himself lie down on the ground to avoid the attack grazing by him. A gust of wind suddenly whipped at his clothing as Lugia came up, this time in tandem with Latias, and the two let off an Aeroblast and Luster Purge respectively. Palkia quickly avoided the blast and sent a Dragon Pulse streaming from its mouth. The two birds scattered to avoid the blast. Lucario jumped up and sent an Aura Sphere sailing into the attack. Palkia cut off its own attack and pulled back. Ash, meanwhile, finally managed to pick himself up. Dialga sailed overhead, its back suddenly growing larger and Ash knew that this was the signal for its Roar of Time attack. Ash's head snapped toward Palkia, whose arm was glowing with a bright pink color. The two were about to collide, Ash knew it. And that wouldn't be a good thing.

"NO!" Ash yelled. The shout was all that was needed to distract Palkia. Palkia locked eyes onto Ash's form when suddenly Giratina came slamming into the Spatial Pokemon with its Shadow Force. It's Spatial Rend went flying off and slammed into the side of the cavern while Dialga's Roar of Time missed entirely. Aaron ran up to Ash.

"What's wrong?" Aaron asked as Lucario ran up to join them. Ash looked between Dialga and Palkia, both of whom were recovering.

"If those two's attacks collide it could cause this dimension to be destroyed. I've seen it before!" Ash said with a sense of urgency and Aaron showed his comprehension with a nod.

"Then we need to stop it from happening." Aaron stated, and not a moment too late as the two began preparing themselves for another round of attacks. Dialga reared back and Palkia thrust forward. Their two attacks went sailing at one another. At once, Ash, Aaron and Lucario erected a shield between the blast, intending to stop it. The shield absorbed the blasts and held the two of them in place. It was draining on the three aura users, but needed to be done. Deoxys, seeing its opportunity, flew at Ash to attack him when a Dark Pulse came out of nowhere and struck it.

Deoxys fell backward as Darkrai came sailing out, firing off spheres of its Dark Void attack. Ash suddenly released his shield as he felt the attacks beginning to diminish. He fell onto one knee but had the strength to look up and see what was going on. An idea sprang to his mind.

"Aaron, Lucario, fire your Aura Spheres at the ground. We need a distraction." Ash yelled and both nodded. The three summoned a volley of Aura Spheres in their hands and sent them sailing at the rock beneath them. The impact of the attacks caused a thick white smoke to erupt. Dialga saw this opportunity and fired a Dragon Pulse out, pushing both Deoxys and Palkia away, into the waiting Groudon. In an instant, the paling was back up once again. Ash smiled. He cracked his head toward the opposing legendaries who were retreating at long last. "All right!" But he was the only one enthusiastic about it. Aaron grabbed him suddenly and the two of them, including Lucario, forced backwards to where Arceus was waiting. As soon as Arceus saw Ash he descended towards him.

"Ash, time to go." Arceus stated but Ash looked at him with nothing short of bewilderment.

"Go where?" Ash asked, completely lost.

"The time has come for you to return to your own world. Contact the Pokemon League. Make sure that you prepare them to fight." Arceus said this quickly but Ash took it all down.

"All right. I got it. Time to get going." Ash turned around and waved his hand, forming a portal in front of himself. Arceus voice called him back.

"Ash, don't let anyone know that we are helping them, all right?" Arceus stated sternly and Ash couldn't possibly fathom the reason why.

"Okay…why not?" Arceus didn't respond but pressed on with what he felt were more important statements.

"Furthermore, if you need to contact us at anytime, we'll be at the Embedded Tower near Cianwood City in the Johto region. Everyone should be there. Lucario, you should go and complete that mission now." Arceus said, rapidly turning his attention to Lucario who saluted and ran off. But Ash wasn't done quite yet.

"Wait a minute here! Why are you guys moving?" Ash yelled in exasperation. Aaron was instead the one to answer him this time.

"This base has been compromised, so we're moving somewhere a little less obvious." Aaron stated. "Now go!" Ash took a step back as both Aaron and Arceus commanded him. Then he cracked a grin.

"All right then! I'll send you a postcard when I get there!" And Ash ran off into the portal.

**

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Author's Note: Once more, I am terribly sorry for taking so long. But I think this chapter was well worth it. Next chapter should be even better. Until then, feast your eyes upon the new season of Pokemon: Sinnoh League Victors and (for those who like Kingdom Hearts) the release date of Birth by Sleep. Oh yes, and REVIEW in the meantime. Please and thank you, I hope to hear from you all soon. Dare to Be Silly.**


	6. Taking Council

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Pokemon nor ever will but damn it! They announced they're removing Brock in Black and White. Oh well, who knows, maybe they'll bring him back in like the fifth or sixth episode...they've done it before.**

* * *

Taking Council

Stark Mountain, the second and less known mountain in the Sinnoh region. Not being in the main part of the region occasionally made it a tourist attraction. Unfortunately, it had been closed down as of late due to the increasing volcanic eruption. Some scientists had attempted to study the phenomenon: few made it out without burns. And those that did claimed that they could not get very far in the mountain. Had they known however, the truth would have shattered them: it was a base.

And in this base, two fire Pokemon aiding in keeping Stark Mountain active so as to keep all of those loathed humans out of this place. That wasn't to say it was all fire and lava inside, for indeed much of the mountains caverns were barren and dry, yet cool and refreshing. And it was within one of these larger, and darker caverns in which the legendary Pokemon gathered. On some higher rocks sat Zapdos, Moltres, and Articuno, eyeing their allies and companions below them. Palkia was the foremost of the group surrounding the stone table that stood as a centerpiece to the room. Deoxys was next to it, as well as the hulking Groudon, as if giving a report on a situation from which they had just returned. Across from them stood Regigigas, the other three members of its kind standing at attention behind it. Both Raikou and Entei flanked the Pokemon, electricity sparking from Raikou's mane as volcanic heat exuded from Entei. That coupled with the natural heat of the Pokemon beside it, created enough heat in the room that radiated through all of Stark Mountain. Other than those Pokemon, Rayquaza was resting in a corner of the room rather languidly whilst Mewtwo leaned against a wall, waiting for the proceedings to finish.

_Failed? That's not very pleasing to hear, Palkia._ Regigigas boomed out at both Deoxys and Palkia shuddered. Groudon quickly spoke up to defend its allies.

_If anything, we succeeded in routing them from their current base. If we find them again-_Groudon was cut off by a sudden remark from Heatran, its voice gravelly and angry.

_Let us not forget that singular word "if". We do not know if we can yet find them again, do we now? And if we don't-_ Heatran itself was cut off by Regigigas once more.

_That is enough. Palkia, Deoxys, Groudon, is there any reason why your assault failed on Spear Pillar? Your pre-emptive strike should have granted you the ability to seize victory before this war really even began, and yet…_The silence that followed seemed a vacuum. Before long Deoxys nudge its larger companion. Palkia sighed deeply.

_I was distracted._ Palkia answered and gave a long and pregnant pause. No other legendary in the room said a word, waiting instead for the words which Palkia would say to them. Yet, what distraction could possibly cause failure in a mission? _The Chosen One is alive._ And there was their answer.

_Alive, you say?_ Raikou busted out. _Impossible, you saw him die! You were there!_

_Then it would appear that I did not see things correctly!_ Palkia spat. Silence followed his statement before Entei turned its hulking body towards Mewtwo in the corner.

_What I find interesting is that Mewtwo did not bother to tell us at all about this particular development._ Entei mused aloud at the Genetic Pokemon. Mewtwo's head slowly lifted itself to look at the assembly before him. _So why the sudden secrecy?_

"I had no idea the Chosen One was alive until roughly a week ago, which you may remember is the time I stopped coming here for meetings." Mewtwo answered coolly, and the remaining legendaries in the room looked at one another. "Arceus has been keeping me on a rather tight leash, I would suppose he didn't want anyone spreading the news of Ash being alive."

_Do you think he knows? About your betrayal I mean?_ Deoxys questioned of the Pokemon. _After all, it seemed that he did not trust you o fight amongst his side. You may damage them after all._ A snicker pervaded the space of the room and Mewtwo waited until it subsided to respond.

"No, I do not." That was all Mewtwo said in response to the question. Regigigas heaved a large sigh and spoke out once again.

_It matters not at this point. Mewtwo cannot divulge us with information about their base. Arceus is smart, he would suspect a traitor. As for the Chosen One…well, he is indeed a problem._

_Then perhaps it is time to move ahead with this plan you've all been talking about._ Rayquaza responded. Regigigas slowly turned to face Rayquaza and nodded.

_Precisely, time to send the world another warning._ Zapdos, Moltres, and Articuno began to spread their wings from their roosting area atop the rocks. _But not from you. I say we send different people this time. Entei, Moltres, Heatran, you shall go to the island._

_What of the Chosen One? How do we deal with him?_ Raikou asked impatiently and Regigigas responded with a low and deep laugh that almost shook Stark Mountain.

_Oh, I believe he is no threat to us at the moment. However, if Arceus has discerned that we know he is alive he will no doubt start having him go out into the world._ No other Pokemon spoke as Regigigas pondered his own statement and nodded his head silently. _Yes, perhaps it would be better to eliminate him off the bat. It would do no good for the goals if he were to exist for an extended period._

_So, how do you plan to take care of him?_ Palkia demanded. _There's no possible way we could easily find him and destroy him._

_True. Very true. Which is the exact reason why we will have him come to us._

-CT-

"Pidgey! Pidgey! Pidgey!" the loud bird Pokemon outside the window jerked Delia Ketchum from her morning preparations of making breakfast for her guests. Quickly she looked outside to see Mimey preoccupied with watering the summer garden and Mrs. Ketchum realized that she would have to get the letter. Which meant stepping away from the stove where the bacon was cooking. With a heavy sigh, she resigned herself to the fact that she would have to act quickly. As if an expert she made her way to the sink and washed her hands, drying them soon afterwards. She then made her way to the sliding glass door and opened it. In a sudden flash the bird flew in and held out its leg. Mrs. Ketchum deftly removed it and the bird went out the window and into the air.

"Misty?" Delia breathed out before she heard a sizzling noise and turned her attention back to the bacon. It was only a few minutes later that Brock sauntered into the room, rubbing his eyes. He immediately noticed the letter on the table.

"What's the Pokemon League calling for here?" Brock said, having recognized the insignia that was emblazoned on the envelope. Mrs. Ketchum shrugged, focusing on the bacon. The front door soon opened and Mimey stepped in with his water pail, Pikachu happily following alongside behind. With no hesitation, Pikachu sniffed the bacon saturated air and ran into the kitchen. he jumped onto the table with a "Pika!" before seeing the letter below his paws. With some small effort, the mouse Pokemon picked up the envelope and turned it over.

"What's that Pikachu?" came Misty's voice as she stepped into the room, a sleepy Dawn and Max following behind her.

"It's addressed to you Misty, from the Pokemon League." Mrs. Ketchum responded and Misty crinkled her brow.

"To me?" Misty reached down and gently took the envelope from Pikachu's hands and slit it open. There was a small letter inside of the envelope which was folded up. "'Miss Waterflower, Gym Leader of the Cerulean Gym, your presence is requested on the thirtieth of May to a special conference of all Gym leaders, Elite Four Members and Champions of the Pokemon League. The meeting will be held at the Indigo Plateau in the Kanto Region and will begin at ten o'clock in the morning sharp. Make sure you are in attendance there. There will be refreshments and a short intermission following a guest speaker. Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you.'"

"Seeing you?" Max blurted out as he sat down and took a sip of orange juice. "The thirtieth's tomorrow! How do they expect you to get from Pallet to Indigo Plateau in a little over twenty four hours."

"Ash made it to Viridian in less than a day, so I would guess you could make it to Indigo Plateau if you leave today Misty." Mrs. Ketchum said, taking the frying pan off the stove and placing the bacon onto the individual plates. Misty had a concerned look on her face. It seemed a little off that the Pokemon League would be calling a meeting. Usually they let the gym leaders do whatever they wanted. Although, with the attack on Cycling Road it would ultimately make sense that they would call an emergency meeting of the strongest trainers in the world. Misty jerked as she felt Brock's hand on her shoulder.

"We can go with you if you'd like." Brock said with his usual brotherly smile and Misty beamed back at him.

"It would probably help with the traveling." Misty agreed and the both sat down to breakfast, joining both Max and Dawn at the table. Even though the other two hadn't offered to go with her, it went without saying that they would indeed help her out at this time; they were her friends after all. May and Drew traipsed into the kitchen soon afterwards where Brock told them of their plans to set off for Indigo Plateau. Within the hour, the friends were naturally packed up and ready to go on their way.

"Don't worry Mrs. Ketchum, our two weeks isn't up yet. We'll be back as soon as the conference is over." Brock assured her and Mrs. Ketchum thanked him before saying goodbye to the group. They turned and set off towards the road to Viridian City.

"I wonder who that guest speaker is…" Max pondered aloud and everyone thought about it. Dawn was the first to answer.

"Maybe it's a big Pokemon professor like Professor Rowan!" dawn said and Piplup readily agreed with the statement. Brock stoked his chin before proffering his own answer.

"Or it could be some other powerful trainer that we don't really know that much about." Brock said with a shrug. "We can't really know the answer until we get there though, right?"

"That's right!" May exclaimed and Drew winced from the sudden loudness right next to his ear. "Although, I wonder if they'll let civilians into the meeting."

"Probably not." Misty responded. "If the Pokemon League is calling an emergency conference when they usually wouldn't, I doubt they'll let civilians in." Everyone but Brock sagged their shoulders at this statement but Misty just smiled joyfully. "Don't worry, I'm sure that they'll broadcast the meeting live. And besides, you guys will be at the Indigo Plateau yourselves. If they don't air it there then I don't know _where_ they'd air it." That settles the conversation and the travelers continued along their way. The journey took them almost a full twenty four hours, stopping at the Pokemon center in Viridian City for about three hours of rest in the evening. Soon after that, though, they were on their way to Indigo Plateau, arriving amongst the large flock of trainers around eight thirty the morning of the conference.

"Good luck in there Misty." Brock said with an assuring pat on the back. She smiled and thanked them all before splitting off and heading in through the double doors, flashing the badge and gym ID she constantly kept on her to be allowed entrance. "Hey, let's find somewhere to sit and eat something, huh?"

"Great idea, Brock!" Dawn chirped out and the five trainers navigated through the packed annex to find a group of chairs that they soon sat down in. Brock took out a sandwich and a small package of Pokemon food for Pikachu to eat. "So, Brock, Max, since we're only gonna be at Mrs. Ketchum's for a little while longer, where are we heading to next?"

"Well, I was thinking we should probably head to Pewter and have Max challenge Forrest." Brock said, finishing off the last morsels of his sandwich. He took a quick glance at Pikachu to see the yellow mouse tip over his bag of Pokemon food in an effort to get more out of it. Nothing more came and Brock gave a small chuckle at the disappointed Pokemon, ruffling his fur.

"Sure you don't want to challenge me yourself, Brock?" Max said with a laugh, waving what was left of his sandwich. Brock laughed back at that.

"Uh, no, I haven't trained as a Gym leader for years. Forrest is good at that job now. Heck, he's probably in there talking with Misty right now." Brock's smile was evident at the group and all of them gave warm chuckles before stretching out and relaxing on their chairs. Brock took a quick sneak peek at the clock and saw that they had spent an hour already here and the meeting was due to begin in the next half hour. Brock decided to stand up and stretch a little.

"Hey watch out!" yelled a loud voice that sounded familiar to Brock's ears. Before he had the chance to react however, a large mass collided with him and sent him sprawling to the ground. "That's it! Why are you in my way? I'm fining you one million dollars. So pay up in ten…nine…eight…seven, six, five, four, three, two, hey it's Brock!"

"Barry, you really have to stop running into people." Brock said, pushing Barry off of him and standing up himself. Before Brock had even straightened himself out Barry had jumped up however, straightening his ascot. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"I was in the area, just came from the tag battle. Didn't manage to make it in before it started but I bought some awesome tickets to watch. I was on my way to Violet City from there when they announced this conference. Since I was so close I doubled back and made my way here. Glad I made it on time!"

"Well, you haven't changed in the slightest." Dawn said with a sigh on her lips. It was true, too. Barry still wore his brightly colored stripe shirt with his ascot. He was still as skinny as ever, his blonde hair perhaps even more unruly that usual. And he still had the speed he had always had.

"Anyway, what are you guys doing here?" Barry questioned and Max was the one to answer.

"We were all staying in Pallet, you know, for the anniversary of Ash's death." Max answered, but his voice didn't choke in the slightest. "Then our friend Misty got a letter telling her to come here so we came with her to cheer her on."

"Oh yeah, that one water gym leader right?" Barry asked with a finger to his chin. "Eh, I beat her…after a few tries but, yeah, so, we're all here huh? Except for Paul…" Brock shared looks with both Max and Dawn.

"Uh, Barry, Paul's in a coma, remember?" Brock said and Barry nodded his head, although he didn't seem to be truly listening. Brock sighed. For one thing, he sighed at Barry's obliviousness to everything around him. But he also sighed as he remembered when the three of them were traveling through Sinnoh. When they came to Veilstone City they decided to stop in on Reggie and there they had learned that Paul had been in a coma for three years, well, at least, since the Rocket Four incident. Brock was jerked back to reality when he heard Barry's voice rambling on. Not paying attention, he quickly sat down. It was going to be a long morning.

-CT-

Misty entered into the large hall and auditorium where the conference would be held. She had barely made it there on time. Glancing around she saw that the entirety of the room was filled to the brim with different gym leaders. Indeed, the room was split into four segments, one for each of the regions. It seemed to her that just about every gym leader of a Pokemon League sanctioned gym was here. Straight in front of her, up on a stage was a large podium with the League seal. behind that was a long table with four chairs, which she presumed were for the champions and President Goodshow. Not long after she finished her examination she heard her name being called.

"Hey, Misty, Misty, over here!" yelled the voice. Recognizing it, she turned towards the person and started striding over to him, soon plunking herself down in the seat next to him.

"How are you Forrest?" Misty asked with a warm smile and he gave a small shrug. Truth be told, it was kind of nice to see Forrest again. being the two youngest gym leaders in the entire league had almost forced them to develop a bond between themselves.

"How's my bro?" Forrest asked and Misty told him exactly how Brock was doing.

"I'm sure you can probably see him after the meeting, which, by the way, do you have any idea what this is about?" Misty asked. Forrest didn't get the chance to answer before another familiar voice cut him off.

"None of us do. Erica and I were just talking about it." said the deeper and huskier woman's voice from behind them. Both twisted around in their seats to see the raven haired Sabrina sitting on top of the chair behind them, her legs crossed.

"Nice to see you again too, Sabrina." Misty said with a smirk and Sabrina threw her one right back. "But I thought you were psychic, so wouldn't you know?"

"Psychic manipulator, not fortune teller." Sabrina said with raised eyebrows, earning a laugh from Misty. Sabrina always made a point of that whenever she was called out on not knowing something was going to happen. Which usually stemmed from Misty herself, Forrest, or Erica beating the Psychic trainer in a training battle when they would all occasionally visit each other. Sabrina waved it off and huffed away to her seat.

"I swear Misty, you are the only one who know how to piss Sabrina off that way and _not_ have her try to wrench your body apart with psychic powers." Forrest responded with an impressed look on his face.

"Been there, done that." Misty responded with a shudder, remembering the first and second times they had visited Saffron City, before Sabrina had been cured. "So anyway, I'm guessing all the big guns are here."

"Oh yeah, all of Hoenn's Elite Four are present, though Wallace is with them too. I would guess they're having Steven take over as champion and all…I mean, he was the former champion before he left. All of Sinnoh is here, and I'm pretty sure so are all of ours."

"Yep, I see 'em all. The entire joint Kanto-Johto Elite Four. Will, the psychic master, Koga, the former Fuchsia gym leader, Bruno, the old standby, and Karen that little-" Misty cut herself off. Misty didn't have a very high opinion of Karen, partially because she had made a tour of all the gyms when vying for her elite four position and had easily thrashed Misty's Starmie in battle, later criticizing her battle technique. It was needless to say that her clothing did not improve Misty's image of her.

"Hey, they're starting. Look." Misty was jerked from her recollection of Karen to see the three champions, Cynthia, Steven Stone, and the recently appointed Johto-Kanto champion and leader of the Pokemon G-Men, Lance, stride in behind President Goodshow. Misty took a glance at the clock, squinting at it since it was so far away and saw that she had already indeed spent an hour and a half at the plateau. The seats were now filled completely and the entire auditorium fell silent as Charles Goodshow stepped up to the podium.

"Greetings trainers and gym leaders," President Goodshow began, ignoring the sudden clicks and flashes from cameras in the background which Misty figured was no doubt the press. "As you all know, what we have called here is an emergency conference to deal with the recent attacks on our society, starting with the destruction of the Cycling Road here in the Kanto region twelve days ago. This is a very serious issue and one that must here be discussed in detail as to what action we are going to take. For this, I turn this meeting over to our designated speaker, Sinnoh League champion Cynthia." There was light applause as President Goodshow stepped down and the blonde haired champion instead approached the podium.

"Trainers, my brothers and sisters, the threat of these attacks has mounted to a point that we can no longer ignore them." Cynthia's voice was full of confidence as she began to make her speech and everyone was paying attention the every syllable of it. "We have all seen the reports on Cycling Road, Bell Tower, Sky Pillar as well as the recent sighting of Deoxys near Mount Coronet in Sinnoh. As such, it would seem that these four regions are the ones in most danger of being attacked. To stop this, we must take action."

"What kind of action are you suggesting, Champion?" voiced aloud Drake, an elite four member from Hoenn. Cynthia briefly turned towards him to answer his question.

"Nothing too drastic I would hope." Cynthia responded with a warm smile. "However, it is action which must be taken. We can no longer stand by idly. We must strike back and defend our nation and our people."

"Would you take whatever risks were necessary to protect the people?" voiced Koga in the crowd. "What if, and this is just a hypothetical situation, but what if protecting the people required that you destroy those legendaries that threaten them?"

"I would not wish destruction on these Pokemon no matter the crimes they have committed. There is always a reason behind these things." Cynthia stated before raising her voice even more, confirming again her presence in the room. "But if it does come to war, then so be it."

"War?" Misty said aloud and a number of heads in the room turned to her. "Would it really be necessary?"

"It would be a necessity if things continue on any longer, miss." said a rough voice behind her. Both Misty and Forrest twisted around to see Lt. Surge behind them polishing his sunglasses. "In either case, should we go to war, I would be more than ready to lend my expert talents."

"Thank you lieutenant, and I am sure that your country more than appreciates your numerous talents on the battlefield. However, I would pray that it does _not_ come to war." Cynthia affirmed and many people seemed to relax at her statement. Another, new voice rang out amongst the crowd, this time coming from the Sinnoh section of the auditorium.

"Do we know why the legendary Pokemon are attacking?" asked the pink haired trainer who Misty recollected from Ash's stories to be Maylene of Veilstone. Cynthia shook her head in shame.

"No, I am afraid we do not know the exact circumstances. However, I am sure that all of you have heard the speculation that this has something to do with the group called the Rocket Four of three years ago. It is possible that their capture of these legendary Pokemon has incited them to attack us."

"Do we know if it is _all_ of the legendary Pokemon?" questioned Agatha, seated in front of Misty. The old trainer wasn't sitting with the Elite Four, having stepped down and was now running the Viridian Gym.

"We have no confirmation of any sort and so at this point we can assume nothing." Cynthia stated. "Regardless of these facts, one thing remains true. As the Pokemon League we must stand strong and not lose faith or falter against these blinding attacks. We must hold true to the ideals we celebrated just two weeks ago when we held the Ash Ketchum Memorial Tournament; that strength and will can hold us together and keep us going forward. It is true, we know little about the situation at hand, but if we follow what Ash Ketchum showed us when he faced the Rocket Four then we have little to fear."

"So, you are saying then, that we should embrace the ideals of the Ash Ketchum memorial Tag Battle in order to get ourselves through these times?" Jasmine asked from the section next to Misty's. Cynthia nodded her head.

"Exactly…although, I think memorial would perhaps be less of an apt term now." Cynthia said and then paused. Misty quickly thought about what she said. How could memorial not be an apt term if Ash was dead? Was Cynthia slighting his memory? She looked at the Sinnoh Champion before directing her sight to the other two champions who she could vaguely hear, even over all of the din.

"Should we tell them?" Steven asked of the red haired trainer next to him who shrugged and waved his hand.

"Nah, just wait for it. Somebody's bound to ask soon." Lance said and chuckled a little. Before Misty could even think about what that meant, Koga made his voice heard.

"And what is that supposed to mean, Champion?" Koga said with a slight snarl to his voice. Cynthia gave a smirk to the crowd.

"Allow me to introduce our guest speaker, Ash Ketchum." The entire auditorium went into a frenzy of murmurings as the sentence was finished and Cynthia stepped down from the podium, towards the back of the room and a darkened wing where a figure was approaching from. Misty was frozen, a number of feelings fluttering through her head and heart. The first was relief, the second was happiness. But what came last was perhaps the most important. The anger. And that was what truly froze her. Ash was _alive_! And yet, for three years she was forced to believe that he was dead. As the young eighteen year old came out nervously onto the stage, Misty watched as Cynthia passed by him.

"Good luck." Cynthia whispered, but Misty could tell what she was saying, flashing him a small smile. Ash nodded. He looked just as she remembered. Thin, young and boyish features, messy black hair (only without a cap to conceal it this time), and now there seemed to be a layer of muscle sitting on him. But Misty's thoughts did not linger on that muscle or indeed any part of Ash's anatomy or person. Instead, it lingered on his very existence in the room and the anger that pervaded her thoughts. A hard nudge came to her side and Misty turned towards Forrest.

"Hey, you know Ash, don't you?" Forrest asked and Misty nodded her head slowly. She was afraid to say anything, worried that her voice would betray her rage. Ash at last reached the podium and suddenly all of the mumblings in the room finally came to a stop.

"Um…hi…" Ash said nervously, clearly unsure of where to even begin this awkward conversation. "Uh, yeah, as you can see, I'm-well, I'm alive." No one responded to this and Ash seemed to grow even more nervous than he had been before. "Wow, I haven't been this nervous in my life. I, uh, obviously didn't come up with a speech for this so-"

"And where have you been, Mr. Ketchum?" Bruno interrupted and Ash turned toward him. "Many of our world if not all believed you dead for the past three years and now you reveal that you are indeed alive. Why show yourself now? And where exactly have you been?"

"Uh, that's a long one. I've been at Mount Silver, er, training if you will." Ash took a deep breath and somehow he seemed to calm down. When next he spoke, it was filled with confidence. "Three years ago when I tried to stop the Rocket Four's machine from blowing up Mount Coronet, I succeeded. However, just before I succeeded I was spirited away by another force. I just left my hat there to sell the whole deal." Ash gave a small chuckle that no one else shared before he continued on. "Anyway, after that I started training myself in a power known as aura. You probably haven't heard of it…not many have. After I finished my training I came back here to help you all."

"A little late for that, is it not?" Koga said with a sneer that made Ash quiver slightly. "We've already been attacked. Tell me, what could you possibly do?"

"Um…well, I'm here to help in this war." Ash said simply and there was an outcry among all of the people sitting in the room.

"War? I believe that no one said that this was a war." Karen stated in a snide tone and Ash quirked his eyebrows at her, having never seen her before.

"Uh, yeah, no, this is a war. Just two days ago I was caught in an attack by Palkia, Deoxys, and Groudon. I'm here to stop that." Ash said in conformation, turning around to face everyone in the room.

"Then I ask again Mr. Ketchum, what could you possibly do?" Koga said abruptly and Ash took another deep breath, as if bracing him for something.

"Well, to put it simply: I'm the Chosen One." Ash said and he let those words wash over the confused crowd. "Uh, in other words, I'm the one who's supposed to save the world from this whole war."

"What's a kid like you gonna really do?" Lt. Surge barked out, a short laugh following it afterward.

"Hey, I'm eighteen, I'm not a kid anymore!" Ash protested but Koga once more cut across him.

"Eighteen or no you are still a child in the ways of the world. Tell us Ash Ketchum, you say you are the Chosen One who is supposed to save us all. Then why did you let Cycling Road fall?"

"That was not-"

"Why is it you allowed the Bell Tower to burn?"

"I don't-"

"And why did you allow Sky Pillar to crumble? Did you not think of these things? You allowed our cherished regions to be attacked and you did not think there would be consequences."

"SHUT UP!" The outburst had come randomly from Ash's mouth in a spot of anger. He hated being called out so suddenly like this and it didn't please him in the slightest. Koga smirked at this.

"I thought so. Some Chosen One you are. You're just talk, Ash Ketchum. You don't know the first thing of war and even less of saving the world." Koga said with a faint smile to his face fir having discredited for him.

"Excuse me! But I know quite a bit about saving the world. I could give you a list! I saved the world from being destroyed by Mewtwo's storm. I fulfilled part of the Shamouti prophecy, I helped save the Tree of Beginning. I even foiled all of Team Aqua, Magma, and Galactic's plans as well as the Rocket Four. Don't tell me I don't know a thing!" Ash was getting angry; Misty saw it in his face. And she knew the angry Ash. The angry Ash did stupid things. The angry Ash made mistakes. And he was just about commit his first mistake. But before that argument escalated the doors suddenly burst open and a guard walked through, holding a roll of paper in his hand. Every head in the room turned towards the man, including Ash's.

"What is the meaning of this? I asked for the council to not be disturbed." Goodshow said, standing up to his short height.

"My apologies president, but this was urgent and could not wait." the guard said as he thrust his arm out, the letter contained in his hand. "We received this letter from Cinnabar Island just ten minutes ago. It appears to have been sent early this morning by carrier Pidgeot." Lance was the first one to grab the letter and he and his fellow champions grazed their eyes over its contents. Lance looked up and announced in a loud voice:

"Cinnabar Island is under attack."

**

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Author's Note: That's right! I'm back and sooner than usual. Overall, this was a very fun chapter to write. Can you pick up on the clues that I dropped? Can you predict anything? I'd love to hear any speculation you have. Well, Ash has revealed himself to the wider world. Next chapter will be Cinnabar Island, so get ready for some action, I think. We're almost at the connecting point of the story so we'll see. By the by, I'll leave the poll up for another chapter and then I'll announce the results. In the meantime, I'd like to thank EVERYONE who reviewed last chapter. 37 reviews in only four chapters makes me smile so PLEASE keep it up. What does this mean? REVIEW and Dare to Be Silly.


	7. The Defense of Cinnabar

**DISCLAIMER: Still don't own it...sighs**

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The Defense of Cinnabar

There was no small amount of silence which followed the statement. No one was sure what to think or what to say. The news contained on that little piece of paper could have been enough to silence the world or whip it into an uproar. Ash blinked, staring at both Lance and the paper he was holding. The legendaries were striking again, and so soon? Ash drew his attention away from the paper as Lance and the other champions did, Lance turning to them.

"I was wondering why Blaine wasn't here." Lance said with a concerned look on his face. "This letter said the attacks started early this morning so it's no wonder he wasn't able to get here at all."

"So what do we do about it?" Steven questioned of Lance and both he and Cynthia thought about it.

"This is something that we cannot allow to go unchecked. Whether this council approves of it or not, it is an absolute necessity that Cinnabar be protected, or the very least that the citizens be evacuated." Cynthia said, the stern look on her face almost compelling the two male champions into agreeing with her.

"Sounds good, I'll take a squad of G-Men and we'll evacuate the island." Lance said with certainty and his fellow champions nodded in response.

"In the mean time, I will take command of the meeting again and see how we can move forward with this." Cynthia said. Before the other two could respond, Ash had come off the podium and strode over to them, his eyes shining with the fire of confidence. "Was there something you wished to say, Ash?"

"Yeah. Lance, I want to go with you." Ash bluntly stated and the three champions were taken aback by it for a moment. Lance shook his head briefly afterwards.

"Mmm, no." came the simple response and Ash's eyes narrowed in response. "It's too dangerous and I can't spend the time out there looking after you, all right?"

"I can take care of myself." Ash retorted, becoming angered at the fact that this wasn't going at all the way he wanted it to. "I mean, you heard what I was talking about."

"Yeah, the whole country heard, Ash, that's not the point. I haven't seen any proof and if you are the Chosen One then we need to keep you alive and whole, don't we?" Lance argued. Cynthia and Steven merely backed away from the argument now occurring between the two. They didn't want to get involved in the matter, particularly if they didn't want the "Chosen One" to start going on a rampage. Thankfully President Goodshow had left, otherwise there wouldn't have been any room for them to escape. Regardless of that fact, the entire auditorium was paying attention to the conversation being held.

"So what? Half of them don't even believe that I _am_ the Chosen One." Ash steamed out and Lance finally stopped himself from saying something in order to listen to the young man before him. "How am I supposed to prove it to them if you won't let me, huh?" This had Lance thinking. It was true, they wanted to shelter Ash after they found out about his continued existence, especially if what he was saying was true. But wasn't that just putting them in a worse off position? After all, if they didn't take Ash along and this battle on Cinnabar happened to prove vital then it would doom them all. Lance chuckled aloud. What was life without a few gambles?

"All right, come with me." Lance said quietly and Ash pumped a fist in the air. Lance turned to his fellow champions and saluted them before turning around with him and Ash leaving. Misty briefly caught sight of Lance putting a headset to his ear as he waked away. Cynthia now approached the podium, Steven standing behind her supportively.

"We will now take a brief intermission of a half hour. Please be back in your seats at the appropriate time and we will finish this meeting following that. Dismissed." Cynthia said, and almost immediately many of the seats were empty. Forrest remained behind to clean up his notebook while Misty sat there in shock for a moment before the anger still flowing through her managed to get pumping once more. She quickly grabbed whatever was on her table and hurriedly shoved it unceremoniously into her Spheal shaped bag.

"Where are you going, Misty?" Forrest inquired as Misty stood up in a rush, the scowl on her face evident. Forrest wanted to back away but was otherwise restrained by his chair.

"To talk with _Ash_." The way she had spoken his name came out with a poison and Forrest decided to not push the issue as Misty quickly left him to find her friend.

-CT-

"G-men! Attention!" Lance announced and all of the men before him quickly stood up straight and saluted him with pride. "Good, as you all know, we are currently heading for Cinnabar Island which has been under attack by, supposedly, the legendary Pokemon Entei, Heatran and Moltres since the early hours of the morning. As this is an island, transportation for all of the citizens is exceedingly limited and as such it is our duty to make sure they can make it off the island."

"What are our orders, sir?" said one of the front G-men in the group. Lance didn't bother to look at him as he responded to the question.

"Our objective is to put every person in our choppers and fly them safely here to Indigo Plateau until the fighting has stopped. In essence, this requires you to keep your head in the game. You must not allow distractions to cloud your judgment on the matter. This means no fighting, whatever the case may be. The civilians are more important than anything else. Fight only if necessary. Any further questions?" No one said a word and Lance nodded his head in approval. "Very well then, ten minutes and all of you will be in your choppers." The men split off from their formation leaving both Ash and Lance standing there. After neither made a comment for a minute lance decided to talk with Ash.

"Don't you have anyone you want to see?" Lance asked and Ash raised an eyebrow at the question.

"Lance, I've been in solitude for three years with everybody believing I was dead. Do you really think I could explain all that in only ten minutes?" Lance chuckled as he saw Ash's point. He clapped a hand on the young man's shoulder as he began to walk off.

"All right, I'll see you at the chopper." With that Ash was left alone. He breathed in deeply, sorting out all the thoughts in his head until he heard footsteps approaching the area. He turned to the source of the noise as someone called out to him.

"Ash Ketchum!" cried the voice of insatiable rage. Ash knew that voice. He couldn't forget it, even after three years of not hearing it. Slowly, and on the spot, he turned towards the voice. The young woman's fiery hair shone brightly as she strode over to him and Ash felt that somehow, Misty had grown more beautiful over the years, although he would never admit that out loud. Ash stretched his arms out as his friend approached.

"Misty!" he said back jovially. But Misty's face did not mirror the smile that was displayed on Ash's. In fact, she made no words as she strode up to Ash, and with a force, brought her hand swiftly across his cheek. Ash hadn't braced himself for the slap and as such his head was jerked sideways and he almost felt as if his jaw had gone out of alignment. He felt the spot where she had slapped him and moved his mouth as he brought his head back to look at her. "Ow. That hurt."

"Yeah, well, you're just lucky I didn't have my mallet with me, otherwise your face would be as flat as a pancake!" Misty's eyes shone threateningly and Ash swallowed hard to quell his nerves in front of the fiery water trainer.

"I lake pancakes…" Ash commented sheepishly and Misty's gaze narrowed even further than it had before.

"You won't when I'm through with you!" Ash glanced over his shoulder to see if anyone was going to save him from this. When he didn't see anyone, he sighed and turned back to Misty. "You made us believe that you were dead for three years!" She seethed out.

"Look, Misty, I'm sorry, all right." Ash commented, running a hand through his hair but Misty's fire nearly blasted out of her eyes as she confronted her friend.

"Three years, Ash! We thought you were dead and this whole time you were alive? How do you think that made us feel?" She pushed Ash in his chest slightly, causing him to back up slightly. "Do you know what we have had to live with for the past three years? Do you know what you've done to Pikachu? Your mom and Brock told me that half the time he doesn't even sleep at nighttime." Ash could see the evidence of a full blown Misty tirade and knew he had to cut it off soon or else some part of his body could end up coming off.

"Misty, calm down, will ya?" Ash said, raising his voice. Misty caught the tone and silenced herself suddenly. "Look, I already apologized. And didn't you ever think that I _wanted_ to let you guys know I was alive? I wanted to tell all of you. I've wanted to see Pikachu more than you could imagine but I couldn't."

"And why is that? Hmm?" Misty said, her glare still ever present on her face. Ash deflated as he looked at her.

"I…I can't exactly tell you that." Ash knew that saying anything could reveal the very things that Arceus didn't want him to: that he was working with a group of legendaries. Lance popped his head quickly back into the room.

"Ash, two minutes." Lance said and then withdrew. Ash nodded and decided he needed to quickly wrap up this conversation.

"Okay, Misty, I gotta go. I promise, soon as I get back, I'll tell you everything that I can." Ash said with a genuine smile and Misty felt her anger washing away slightly. "Will you wait for me?"

"Y-yeah. I'll wait for you." Misty said in a slightly dreamy voice before realizing what she had said and decided to change her tone. "But you better come back alive. If you die out there I'll find you and make you wish you were dead."

"I got it, Misty!" Ash said as he walked away from her with a smile. Before long however, Ash's back had disappeared and Misty let out a confused sigh. Confused about the events of the day. Confused about herself. Confused about Ash.

"Stupid Ash Ketchum…" Misty breathed out harshly before her tone softened. "Just hurry back…all right."

-CT-

The fleet of helicopters took off slowly from Indigo Plateau. Ash looked outside thinking of his conversation with Misty and the road ahead. No one he was with on the helicopter said a word, least of all Lance who had his eyes closed. Ash didn't bother asking how long it would take them to get to Cinnabar. All that would matter would be if the island was still standing. Before long however, Lance tapped Ash on the shoulder and the helicopter began its descent. Ash glanced out as he saw Cinnabar Island.

It was a war zone, plain and simple. People were running pell-mell all over the island whilst legions of Golbat were swooping down on them. A number of homes were destroyed and the screams of some civilians still trapped inside them echoed out. There were those who were fighting against the Golbat and the random spurts of flame that were coming from a secluded area of the island. As soon as the helicopter touched down on the island both Lance and Ash jumped out, meeting with Ash's men.

"All right, all of you have your orders, the civilians are your top priority, now go!" The men quickly saluted their commanding officer and left him to go and collect civilians. Lance turned towards Ash. "Ash, you're with me." Ash nodded and Lance tossed a poke ball to the air, a Dragonite appearing from the blast of light. Ash smirked and summoned his sword to his hands. Lance only paid it a moment's glance before he led the way forward, deeper into the island.

"Are we evacuating the citizens too?" Ash asked and at first Lance didn't answer, skirting around the edge of a now burning house. As soon as they were clear of the flames, Lance deigned to give him a response.

"First we have to see if Blaine's okay." Lance said before ordering Dragonite to rush ahead and clear the path of Golbat. When the Golbat were gone Lance saw the distinguishable form of an older man with a Magmortar, defending the part of town they were in. "Guess that parts solved. Blaine!" The older man turned towards the voice and saw both Lance and Ash approaching.

"Hey there Lance!" Blaine yelled back, taking off his hat to acknowledge the champion of his region. "Magmortar, Thunderbolt!" The Magmortar in front of him reared back and fired a bolt of lightning from its cannons, showering the Golbat with it and knocking them out. At this point, both Lance and Ash had at last approached the Cinnabar Island Gym leader. "Sorry I couldn't make it to the council thing, but we do have bigger problems on our hands."

"So I see." Lance said with a bite of sarcasm to his voice and a laugh afterwards. "Oh, Blaine, this is Ash Ketchum. Ash, this is-"

"Yeah, I know who Ash Ketchum is. Battled the kid for his Volcano Badge years ago. How ya been?" Blaine said, ordering for Magmortar to execute Low Kick.

"I'm good…you know, other than the fact I've been out of society for three years. By the way, I love the no hair thing. The moustache is especially nice." Ash said with a smile and Blaine stroked his moustache as Lance let out an audible "_Ash!_"

"All right, now that that's out of the way, Blaine, head for the choppers." Lance ordered but Blaine gave him a look as if he were crazy.

"I'm staying here to defend my gym and my town, you can help if you want, but I'm not leaving!" Blaine said and Lance let out a frustrated groan.

"Blaine, you are leaving now!" Lance said. "That is a direct order from the Champion."

"Last I checked, the Champion doesn't have the authority to give orders." Blaine said with a sneer but lance merely glared at him with something close to loathing.

"Be that as it may, my orders are to evacuate all citizens, including the Gym Leaders. This island is not safe, now get moving!" Blaine stared hard into Lance's eyes, seeking for the reason that he would leave his island. Ash thought he wasn't going to do it.

"All right, I'll leave it to you then." Blaine said and Lance nodded. Blaine gave a yell back to the people behind him and they all followed in suit.

"Why did he decide to leave?" Ash asked Lance when they were alone. Lance shrugged his shoulders.

"Because he realized that _we_ were here to protect the town and do our jobs. Now come on, we've got civilians to save." Lance ran forward without even waiting for Ash's brain to catch up. When Ash finally came to, he saw Ash dashing forward and followed after him. After his first step was taken, a loud screech filled the air. Ash whipped around and saw Moltres descending towards him.

_I've found the Chosen One!_ the flaming bird screeched and Ash grimaced. This couldn't be good. The bird opened its mouth and a stream of flame came flying out of it. With not a second to spare, Ash threw up a shield that absorbed the blow as Moltres rushed past. Ash whipped around and summoned an Aura Sphere in his hand. The sphere went sailing towards Moltres before it veered off and the attack missed entirely. Loud footprints filled the small valley that Ash was in and suddenly Entei leapt down and faced Ash. Ash quickly sent an Aura Sphere at the dog but it quickly leapt aside and dodged the attack, now drawing closer.

Ash took a step back, continuing to fire off Aura Spheres but missing as Entei dodged each one. Eventually, Ash found himself backed up against a wall, and a lump rising in his throat. It was then that Ash realized he was holding his sword still. Ash quickly put it out in front of him and Entei stopped its advance. Bolstered with newfound courage, Ash gave a yell and ran at Entei, taking a swipe at the Pokemon. With dexterity, the Pokemon jumped backward, clearing the way for Moltres, who was making another sweep.

"Oh, definitely not good!" Ash exclaimed aloud to nobody.

"Ash, duck! Dragonite, Dragon Rush!" yelled Lance's voice and Dragonite came soaring in, quickly landing an attack on Moltres. However, despite Dragonite's bulky weight, Moltres threw off its attacker. However, Ash was grateful as the Pokemon had cut off its attack. Lance quickly ran to Ash's side and Dragonite stood proudly beside him. "I leave you alone for a few seconds and they already launch an attack on your life."

"Yep…" Ash grumbled out. Entei paced around the valley patiently, assumedly planning its next move whilst Moltres circled overhead. At the other end of the canyon, both Ash and Lance could see the remainder of the citizens being escorted off the island. Ash figured that they were probably the only ones really left by now.

_Pincer movement, now!_ came a cry from above. All Lance heard was a Pokemon's voice but Ash knew exactly what was coming. Before the three blasts of flame converged on their location, Ash had brought up another shield. However, the three continued to apply the pressure and soon, Ash had to let the shield drop.

"Dragonite, quick, Twister!" Lance ordered before the shield had even completely finished dropping. Dragonite wasted no time and spun around, deflecting the flames back to their owners. Entei was pushed back, but the newcomer, Heatran, merely reveled in the flames. With no warning, the Pokemon jumped off the side of the valley and crashed down in front of Ash. Then it opened its mouth and let out a loud screeching noise. Instantly, both Ash and Lance covered their ears to block out the noise. Entei took advantage of the lull and raced forward. Ash attempted to bring up a shield again, but the attempt was feeble as Entei crashed through it and ripped across Ash's arm, leaving blood dripping from it. "Ash!"

"I'm fine." Ash said through gritted teeth. He put his palm over the wound and a blue light glowed around it, completely healing it. Lance's eyes widened a moment but he soon turned back to the battle at hand. Heatran again prepared to screech but Ash sent an Aura Sphere spiraling at the Pokemon, hitting it square on the forehead. With the momentary distraction in place, Ash ran forward and swiped at Heatran, knocking it once more against the head. Dragonite joined him in this endeavor and sent Heatran flying backwards. "One down!"

_Two more to go!_ Entei cried and sent another blast of flame. This time, Ash knew he couldn't bring up a shield and quickly dodged the assault, Dragonite shielding him as he did so. But the attack was merely a diversion for Moltres to come sweeping in once more.

"Dragonite, Dragon Rush again!" Lance ordered and his Pokemon obeyed. Ash assisted with a barrage of Aura Spheres and the form of Moltres. Moltres twirled in midair to avoid the attacks, wreathing itself with even more fire. "Not good. Ash, get out of there!" But there was no way out for Ash, backed against another wall of the valley, a steep cliff being the only way he could get out. Then it hit him, just like it did in every Pokemon battle: a strategy. Ash turned around and aimed an Aura Sphere at the cliff as Moltres angled itself towards him. With one shot, cracks appeared. After the second shot it appeared that the rocks were going to break free. On Ash's third and final shot the rocks came tumbling down. Ash ran far away before they could hit but Moltres got caught in the avalanche, soon buried under the rocks. Ash gave Lance a thumbs up. They had won.

"We did it!" Ash yelled. But then the rocks shifted.

_Not quite!_ The rocks blasted off and Ash crouched in order to shield himself, shards of stone cutting across his skin slightly, causing blood to trickle. _Entei, Heatran, Plan B!_

_Understood._ Entei said and Ash could only look at the legendaries in confusion. In the distance he saw Heatran get up and climb up the sides of the valley. Entei leapt ahead of him, towards the large mountain in the distance. No, that wasn't a mountain…that was a volcano.

"No way…" Ash breathed out as Lance rejoined him. Lance quickly looked up at the mountain where the three Pokemon were going. His eyes widened. A few seconds later there was a rumble, and then the area surrounding the volcano began to glow red.

"Time to go." Lance stated simply and Ash nodded. At once, the two took off as quick as they could. The rumbling grew louder and magma began to cascade down the sides of the volcano, seeping onto the island. Ash picked up his speed as the roaring sound of lava rushing through the island became louder. As they finally passed the third row of houses Ash looked behind him to see the lava gaining. Snapping his look forward, he noticed Lance was ahead of him, and that the choppers were still on the ground, even though it was in the distance. "Agent Gamma, this is Agent Alpha, get those choppers off the ground immediately!"

"But Agent Alpha, you and the Chosen One aren't here yet." argued the agent on the other line.

"I don't care, civilians are top priority, nothing else. Don't worry, we'll get up there." Lance yelled back into his receiver as Ash caught up to him.

"Understood Agent Alpha." The whirring of the helicopters now filled their ears. The lava was still gaining on them, spurred on by the fire Pokemon controlling it. The two trainers spurred themselves, and as they reached the edge of the beach, both jumped. Lance managed to catch the helicopter as Ash caught onto Lance. With surprising strength Lance pulled the both of them up and into the helicopter. Ash took a brief moment to catch his breath before looking down at Cinnabar. The lava washed over it in a wave, obliterating all signs that a town had ever been there. As Lance pulled Ash away from the scene, the young Chosen One felt as if he wanted to cry.

**

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Author's Note: Slightly shorter, but wow! What a chapter, right? I hope you all liked Misty's confrontation with Ash and you'll see the others next chapter. I can't wait for the next chapter personally and I get the feeling that when you see the title you'll know exactly why. Now, you may ask, why was Cinnabar destroyed? Two reasons actually: 1) I needed a horrible event to happen to let it hit you that this is a war and 2) A volcano had destroyed Cinnabar in HG/SS and this was my take on that. On another note, THANK YOU, all of you for your splendid reviews. I got 10 reviews last chapter, the most ever! With your help, we can reach 100 and maybe 200, and if I get enough this chapter you know what it means: guest given disclaimer so let me know who you want to give the disclaimer. Until then, please continue to REVIEW and Dare to Be Silly.


	8. Comatose Years

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pokemon, and sometimes I wished I did but really, I might ruin the show...I don't know. Good luck to Ash in the Sinnoh League though!**

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Comatose Years

"Go home, Ash." Lance's tone came out harshly, bringing Ash back to his senses. He had wandered through his mind in a daze after what had just happened to Cinnabar. However, Lance's specific order brought him to the cold reality he was facing.

"What?" Ash immediately yelled out. It still took his brain time to catch up with his mouth. Lance was already speaking again by that time.

"You did well out there today but I really think that you should go home." Lance said, a comforting hand being placed on the younger trainer's shoulder. Ash shrugged it off a little angrily.

"You can't expect me to just sit this out!" Ash exclaimed and Lance took in a deep breath.

"Nor would I want you to, but this is a direct order coming from me." Lance said. "People want to see you, and the Pokemon League isn't enough of a government of any sort to deny the people that right. You would probably be safer at home."

"But what about-" Ash began but Lance shook his head, silencing his protests.

"Everything will be fine here. Those legendaries today were out to get _you_ Ash, and the Pokemon League is a rather large target. As long as you're here, you won't be safe. So, I'll say one last time, go home. Catch up with your family and friends. I'm sure that all of them want to see you. The League will contact you again if they require your services and we'll even provide you with transportation to Pallet. Do note, however, that if you leave Pallet, do make sure to tell us where you are." Ash deflated, knowing that there was absolutely no way that he was going to win this battle with Lance. So instead he nodded. Lance shot him a swift smile and with the remainder of the G-Men, left the young boy standing there.

What was he to do now? How was he going to face his mother? Would he be able to find all his friends even? Of course, it was probably mere coincidence that Misty was here, after all, she _was_ a gym leader. Misty! Of course, he had promised her that he would return, and he needed a friend's help now more than ever. With that thought cemented firmly his mind he set off for wherever Misty would be. Of course, his first thought roamed towards the auditorium, where the meeting was being held. It didn't take very long before he entered the large room to see all of the empty seats where the Gym leaders and Elite Four members had been previously.

"Meeting's over, Ash." came a female voice from behind him and Ash turned to see Cynthia sitting there, shuffling papers. It appeared to him as though she was waiting there for him. "Your friend Misty told me she and your other friends were going to be in a small room off the waiting area." Ash nodded with a smile. A smile which quickly disappeared as he imagined all of his friend's faces. It had been so long since he had seen them…and he could only imagine that all of them were as angry as Misty was. So he decided to stall.

"How did the meeting go?" Ash asked of Cynthia who looked up as she finally finished sorting out all of her papers.

"Not as well as we had hoped but we got somewhere. In the main, some gym leaders have formed coalitions to protect their towns and the Elite Four of Sinnoh have agreed to form a mission based group between the four of themselves. If anything, they'll be the first to contact you." Cynthia said. She quickly shoved her papers in a bag and started walking away. "If that's all Ash, I have quite a bit of work to do." Ash couldn't get another word in as she walked away. With a deep sigh he trudged out of the auditorium and out into the waiting area. By now, the location was fairly devoid of people so Ash could make it through without being noticed and towards a large door that was slightly ajar. Ash heard voices issuing from it.

"Couldn't even tell us?" cried a high pitched voice that Ash recognized to be Dawn's voice, even after not hearing it for so long.

"I know, we _are_ his friends, unless he's forgotten that little piece of information." That one was definitely May, and the sigh hat he heard next had definitely come from Brock. However, the next voice he heard didn't sound familiar, even though Ash felt like he had heard it before.

"Look guys, we'll just confront him when he gets here. Assuming he doesn't turn coward and not come to face us." Ash cringed before his face hardened into a partial snarl. He wasn't a coward. And if shying away was proving that he was, then he wasn't going to shy away.

"Who's a coward?" Ash said loudly as he pushed the door open and looked at all of his friends standing in the room. There was silence as they all stared at him. Ash quickly turned around and shut the door behind him, and then-

"Pikapi!" came a loud voice, ecstatic in every way and Ash soon found himself assaulted by his oldest friend.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried and snuggled his face close to the electric Pokemon's fur. He was laughing, and at the same time, so was Pikachu. Trainer and master were reunited at long last. For a moment, it seemed as if every other face in the room softened at the sight. "How've you been buddy?"

"Pika pika pikachu, pikachu, pika chu chu pika, pikachu. Pika Pika Pika-Chu, chu chu pi pi pika!" Ash nodded his head in understanding and with a smile at the Pokemon's explanation.

"So you've been traveling around with Brock, Dawn, and Max, as Max participated in League tournaments. Sounds like you've been having fun!" Pikachu just smiled at his trainer and quickly crawled across Ash's head as he laughed, soon settling on his trainer's shoulder. Now Ash faced toward the remainder of his friends and the stony glares that they were sending him. He chuckled nervously. "Hey guys!"

"Hey Ash!" came another familiar and enthusiastic voice. Ash turned with a jolt to see Barry, still as fidgety as ever.

"Barry! What are _you_ doing here?" Ash asked with a sudden surprise. And now that he glanced around the room, he also saw that Drew was here.

"I was nearby but so what! Let's have a battle!" Barry said with glee etched on his face. Ash rolled his eyes.

"Barry, I've been out of training for three years and I only have one Pokemon on me." Ash breathed out and Barry just waved his hand in front of his face.

"Details, details, now come on." Ash started panicking in his mind. This wasn't really the time for him to do this. Usually, he'd be the first one to jump at the chance of a Pokemon battle but today was a little more serious. Suddenly, drew spoke up from next to May.

"Hey, I'll battle you. I'm a pretty skilled coordinator and I think I could give you a challenge." Drew said in a snide tone and Barry looked a little skeptical at first but soon accepted.

"All right, fine, but Ash, we're battling later." Ash just waved him off with a smile and a "Sure Barry" as the two men departed from the room, May shooting Drew a quick "thank you". Ash now turned back to his remaining friends. No one said a word. Ash saw Max fix his glasses and noticed how much older and matured he looked. He even noticed Dawn, now at the age of fifteen, and looking prettier. he even spent time looking at May, who was, by now, sixteen or seventeen, and Brock, still looking the same as ever at twenty four. His gaze lingered the longest on Misty, with her thin lips and narrow stare. True, he had seen her before, but he hadn't exactly paid attention to her. He noticed clearly that she no longer consistently wore her hair into a side ponytail but now let it hang freely. She easily caught him staring and her glare narrowed further.

"So, Ash, you said you'd explain everything?" Misty said with a biting tone and Ash nodded without saying a word.

"Yeah, yeah, so uh-" Ash was cut off by Dawn's loud and shrill voice.

"Where have you been for three years? Why didn't you let us know you were alive?" Ash sighed. This was probably going to be harder than he thought.

"Okay, first off, I wanted to see all of you guys, I really did, especially you Pikachu." Ash said with a glance to his yellow furred buddy, scratching lightly behind his ears. "But I couldn't. Don't ask me about why I couldn't. It's…something I promised not to tell."

"Who did you promise it to?" Max said and Ash now realized that the voice he couldn't recognize from earlier was his.

"I promised not to even say that. Guys don't pressure me here! Look, I tried to save you guys and everybody from the stupid Rocket Four three years ago. I'm sorry that I couldn't let you guys know I was alive but it was important that I did so. Anyway, the important thing is that I'm back, right?" Ash said this in the hopes that everybody would forgive him, but the glares were still going strong.

"Ash, we don't mind that you tricked us into thinking you were dead." May said quietly, staring right into Ash's eyes. "It's that you didn't even give us a sense of closure after you died."

"I'm…I'm sorry…" Ash said, hanging his head in defeat. What May said really hit him. It was true after all, he didn't even let them know, "Hey I'm alive", or "Hey, I'm dead," and that must have hurt all of them. There was movement and Ash looked up to see Brock walking towards him, silent and stoic. Ash braced himself for the hit before he felt as if he was smothered in a hug by his best human friend. Brock pulled away.

"The important point now, is that you're alive. And you're here." Brock said with a smile and Ash smiled back. Suddenly, the tension left the room as the others all stood up and walked over to him, giving him their own hugs, even Misty, even Piplup.

"So, what now Ash?" Misty asked and Ash smiled at her.

"Well, I think I should go see my mom, huh?" Ash said with a silly grin on his face. "Well, that and all my other Pokemon, and Professor Oak, and Tracy, and Gary and…wow, I have a lot of people to see." Ash let out a laugh that everyone joined in on. Then Ash seemed to notice something that he didn't notice before. "Hey, where's Paul? I would've thought that with Barry here he would be too." The air became distinctly chilly again. Ash didn't ask the question that Brock next answered.

"Paul's in a coma, in Veilstone." Ash's eyes widened. "He's been that way for three years now, supposedly, around the time we took on the Rocket Four."

"Is he-" Ash tried to ask but now Dawn was the one who answered quickly.

"The doctors say he's stable but…they don't know if he'll ever wake up." Dawn said with a slight touch of sadness to her voice. Even Ash was sad at this outcome; Paul was in a coma? It didn't seem possible. Then a light bulb went on in his head.

"I want to see him. After we stop by Pallet, will all of you come with me to Veilstone?" There was instant agreement, and Ash knew that none of them wanted to let him out of their site. "All right then, come on, the league's providing transportation, so let's go!"

-CT-

"Mom…can't…breathe…need…oxygen…" Ash said in a strangled voice. However, he was still smiling as he did so. His mother soon withdrew from her hug on him and Ash sucked in the much needed air. He smiled at her and the two hugged once again. "It's good to be home."

"That's good to hear Ash, now, have you been changing your underwear once a day?" Delia quickly asked her son who flushed with embarrassment.

"Mom!" Ash said. "I, uh, made some money working odd jobs around Mount Silver so uh…yes, I bought enough underwear for everyday…" Ash had said that last part in a hushed whispers, though not quiet enough as his friends all chuckled behind him. He wanted to send a glare at them but knew that he couldn't bring himself to do it.

"Oh, it doesn't matter. I'm just so glad you're here Ash. Somehow I always knew you were alive; call it a mother's intuition. But, you're just like your father, never have been able to stay at home too long anyway." Mrs. Ketchum gave a laugh and Ash just rubbed the back of his head in slight embarrassment. Brock took a step forward to cut off Mrs. Ketchum's rambling.

"Mrs. Ketchum, I thought we'd let you know, well, Ash wants to leave in a day or two. We're going to visit a…friend of ours who was put in a coma." Brock said and Mrs. Ketchum nodded in complete understanding. That was just the way Ash was. "But, uh, after that, I was actually thinking that we would extend our usual stay a little longer."

"'Usual stay'?" Ash asked in confusion at this slightly new development. Max was now the one to answer his confidence.

"Well, ever since you died we've stopped by here every year for a week or two to check on your mom and your Pokemon." Max said with a smile and Ash couldn't help but feel happy inside.

"Wow, thanks you guys." Ash said with all of his heart. "Which reminds me, I need to see all my Pokemon!"

"Well, Ash, they're all over at Professor Oak's lab. I'll start working on making you a big dinner." With that Mrs. Ketchum started humming to herself as she traipsed into the kitchen. Ash turned back towards the door when Pikachu lightly jumped off his shoulder and toward the fireplace mantelpiece where a familiar object was resting. Pikachu picked it up with his teeth and brought it over to his trainer.

"My old hat…" Ash said, tearing up slightly at the sight of it. With a near reverence, he picked the cap up and placed it on his head, still a perfect fit. "All right! Let's go see my Pokemon!" Before the others could get a word in edgewise, both Ash and Pikachu had already started sprinting towards Professor Oak' lab.

"Hey, Ash, wait up!" came a voice and Barry detached from the group to follow after him. Dawn sighed.

"Why we ever allowed Barry to tag along is completely beyond me…" Dawn said the entire group laughed, setting off after them. When they finally caught up to the two rivals, they were outside of Professor Oak's lab, waiting for the door to open. When it finally did, Ash was almost ready to bowl the old professor but stopped himself.

"Ash, m'boy, I was wondering when you'd stop by." Professor Oak said with jubilant grin on his face that made him seem ten years younger. "All the Pokemon were waiting for you."

"Thanks professor. Oh, mom didn't say it, but I'm sure that she wants you, Gary, and Tracy over for dinner tonight at the house." Ash said before skipping off towards the backyard, Pikachu in tow.

"That boy hasn't changed one bit, in all the years that I've known him." Professor Oak said with a chuckle. He saw Ash race by Tracy with a few hellos and then saw him pause by his grandson. After a few shared words of conversation between the two, Ash headed outside.

"Hey, I'm back!" Ash yelled out and there was no noise, and no movement, in the entirety of the garden. "Okay…come on, you can't all hate me that much." Still nothing and Pikachu cocked his head in confusion. Then his ears twitched as he picked up on something. A rumbling noise as it seemed. Then a dust cloud appeared and it was already too late when Ash realized what it was. Suddenly he found himself laughing as Torterra nuzzled its head against him, Muk tried to smother him, Bulbasaur and Bayleef tackled him along with Gabite and Corphish. Noctowl, Swellow and Starraptor floated above, sending small and happy gusts down at their trainer. **Quilava** and Totodile both leapt onto Ash as well. Sceptile leaned against a tree with Infernape and Heracross, all three having smiles on their faces. Buizel sent a spray of water at Ash's face to show its affection while Glalie froze Ash with an Ice Beam that Torkoal thawed out soon after. Even Donphan and the Tauros were rambunctious, almost completely trampling him. "Okay, okay, I'm glad to see you guys too. All right, all right, I love you guys."

From the entrance of the garden, the remainder of Ash's friends were watching him with his Pokemon. They even saw his great surprise when Gliscor, Squirtle and Charizard appeared. According to Professor Oak, as soon as he saw on the news that Ash was alive that morning, he called up all the people that were holding Ash's Pokemon and asked for them to be sent over. Roughly ten minutes after that, Ash was seated at the head of a circle that he and his Pokemon made, listening to each of their stories.

"How does Ash do that?" Barry asked suddenly. "How can he understand everything that his Pokemon are saying?"

"Ash has a very strong bond with his Pokemon. I wouldn't be surprised if all of them were one and the same, even after a three years absence." Professor Oak said with a chuckle. That answer was enough to sate Barry's mind, although, many of them knew that it was because of a little something called aura. As the sun started to sink on the horizon, Ash got up and walked over to Professor Oak.

"Hey Professor, I was wondering if I could take Charizard, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Gabite, and Muk with me. They seem to really want to come along. Well, so does Bayleef, but when I told her she'd be in charge, she seemed okay with it." Ash asked, scratching the back of his head yet again.

"They're your Pokemon Ash. Of course you can take them." Professor Oak said with a grin, handing Ash five red and white Pokeballs. Ash smiled and turned around, returning the five said Pokemon to their poke balls. It really was good to be back.

-CT-

The morning of the second of June dawned bright and cheery as the group woke up. Today was the day they would head for Veilstone. Brock had called in for Gerald, currently the acting CEO of MAGMA ENERGY to give them a ride. After all, Maxie had still left all his assets to the group. Ash yawned as he sat up. It was nice having a few days to just relax and sleep in his own bed. He would need it for the task he knew was ahead for him today. After a very nice breakfast, one of Mrs. Ketchum's best actually, Brock called Gerald to hear that he was currently on his way. Many of the trainers decided to wait outside while Ash finished up his breakfast. Pikachu quickly left him so that he and Piplup could play. Misty was the only one left in the kitchen at the time. Ironically, the two of them got up and put their dishes in the sink at the same exact time.

"So why do you want to see Paul? Last impression I got from you and the others, you practically hated his guts." Misty said with a quirked eyebrow. Ash gave a nonchalant shrug.

"Paul never seemed to have many friends and truth be told, despite the two of us constantly fighting, I still felt like we were friends in a way." Ash gave a small chuckle. "Besides, no one deserves to be in a coma."

"Hmmm." That was all that came out of Misty's mouth as she leaned against the countertop. Ash looked at her skeptically before a loud laugh forced its way out.

"Come to think of it, the two of us always used to fight but we still remained friends, huh?" Ash said and Misty giggled at this mention. "Those were the days, huh? Battling Pokemon and traveling…You have no idea what I'd give for those days."

"Which days in particular?" Misty asked with a smile and Ash just messed around with the hat on his head.

"Any day that I got to be with all of you guys, all of my friends. I think that was what I missed the most these past three years." Ash had a pensive look that Misty had to resist giggling at. "You know, I missed you Misty. And as much as that slap hurt, I kinda missed stuff like that too."

"Awww, thanks Ash." Misty said, moving significantly closer to him. Ash felt his breath hitch. This wasn't happening, was it? Not in his own home? His mind started to become confused and muddled suddenly.

"Y-yeah, Misty, we're really close friends, I mean, _really_ close, but don't you think we're just a little _too_ close right now?" Ash stammered out and Ash could already see where everything was leading when someone else suddenly stepped inside the room.

"Hey, our ride is here you guys." Brock said and Misty jumped away from Ash as if Pikachu had stepped in to shock her. She then simply turned around and walked out the door, subtly dragging Brock with her.

"What was that for?" she hissed out through gritted teeth. Brock rolled his eyes.

"Hey, I did you a favor." Brock said and now it was Misty's turn to roll her eyes. "Ash just started reacquainting himself with normal life again and you want to pull something like that on him. He seems confused enough about things as it is." Misty let a sigh flutter from her lips.

"All right, all right, I get your point Brock. In other words, I shouldn't push it on him right?" Misty asked and Brock nodded simply. Misty gave a sad smile before walking out. Ash suddenly caught up to Brock as the two walked out of the house to the jet that was waiting in front of them. The pilot stepped out as everybody else began to file in.

"Master Brock, how wonderful to see you today. I trust things are going well?" Gerald asked with a twinkle to his eyes as he shook the younger male's hand.

"Going great, actually, how are things at the company?" Brock sincerely asked and Gerald chuckled slightly.

"Not too bad, we recently discovered a new source of energy, but we're refining the process so I can't say for sure." Gerald said as he led both Ash and Brock onto the jet. "Now then, we're heading for Veilstone City in the Sinnoh region, correct?"

"Yeah, just land us at the airport." Brock briefly turned toward Ash at this moment. "I called Reggie yesterday evening and he said that he and Maylene are going to come pick us up. Apparently the two of them have gotten…close…" Brock had a smirk on his face but Ash knew his best friend, and knew that Brock was sad about himself not having found one girl to be steady with.

"Sounds good." Ash said as he flopped onto a chair in the jet in order to relax. And that was the end of that conversation. Thankfully for all of them, the jet ride was amiable and Ash spent it enjoying his third favorite pastime: sleeping. No one dared to wake him. As the early afternoon settled down around them, and a decent lunch was served on the plane, they set down in Veilstone's airport, seeing a familiar face waving at them when they entered the airport.

"Hey, Reggie!" Ash called out and Reggie smiled to them. It was amazing at how different from his brother that he was and it boggled Ash's mind. When they finally managed to extricate themselves from the crowd and gather around Reggie, Ash immediately asked what was on his mind. "So, how's Paul?"

"Still stable…but not awake yet. I'm guessing you came here to see him?" Reggie asked and Ash nodded. "Well, let's go. He's at the Veilstone Hospital." And so, all eight of the guests followed Reggie out to two sets of vans, one of them actually being driven by Maylene. After a little debate about how the group was going to separate they were all in the cars and on their way to the hospital. It didn't take long for them to arrive.

"Reggie, here to see your brother again? You just visited him yesterday!" a doctor said, looking up from a chart in his hands. Reggie laughed back at the man.

"I visit him everyday. Besides, I have guests with me this time." Reggie jerked his thumb back at Ash and his friends and the doctor let out a simple "ahhh" before returning to his work. With that, Reggie led the group back towards Paul's room. What they saw, wasn't a pretty sight. True, Paul was clean shaven thanks to the help that Reggie gave in keeping his brother as clean as possible, but the purple haired trainer looked simply pathetic in all respects.

"How-how did it happen?" Ash asked with gulp. Reggie shrugged.

"No one knows for certain, but I was told that it was supposedly a man in a white suit with three legendary Pokemon. Paul tried to stop him from escaping after a battle and was put into a coma when he slammed into a rock with Magmortar on top of him." Reggie said as Ash's eyes were locked on Paul. His breathing was steady and he seemed to be completely fine. Ash's face hardened perceptibly and everyone noticed it. He slowly strode over to Paul and looked at his eternally sleeping form. Ash held his hand out, his palm facing towards Paul's chest.

"Ash, what are you doing?" Brock asked concernedly and everyone fixed their gaze on the young trainer. Even Pikachu, sitting atop Ash's shoulder was wondering what Ash was about to do. Ash closed his eyes. A blue sphere came from the center of his palm and for a moment, a number of his friends in the room believed he was about to do the worst. That was the thought until the blue light spread onto Paul's chest, filling it with a warmth. Ash knew the basic concept and now, he just had to put it into extreme practice. Aaron's teachings filled his mind and he sorted them all into the proper place, pouring all of his being and his power into this simple act. Before long, the light in his hand flickered and went out, Ash stumbling away from the bed.

He looked towards Paul, who seemed unmoving and Ash shook his head. He had tried so hard, but only ended up falling short of the mark. Then a finger twitched, and then Paul moved his arm. Suddenly, as if waking from a bad dream, Paul shot up, coughing heavily, water spilling forth from his mouth. Reggie quickly ran over to him while Ash smiled bleakly. Ash brought a hand to his own nose and found there was a small trickle of blood from there, no doubt from the exertion of his body on such a prolonged action. He wiped it clean and sniffled in through his nose. Brock cast a concerned look over at him but he waved his friend off. By the time he turned back to Paul he saw that Reggie was supporting the slightly dazed Paul.

"Where…where am I?" Paul growled out, still trying to come back to his senses.

"You're in the Veilstone Hospital, Paul. You've been a coma for three years." came Reggie's voice and Paul managed to lock his eyes onto the face of his brother.

"R-Reggie?" Paul asked and Reggie nodded with a smile. Paul began to move out of the hospital bed he was in. Reggie immediately tried to stop him. After all, he had just woken up from a coma and the breeder did not want him to overexert himself. "I'm fine!" The tone of his voice was harsh and Reggie backed off. Ash's brow furrowed and a frown creased his face. He knew that the effect would probably be instantaneous since aura did things instantly, but he had no idea that Paul would settle back in so closely after waking up. As Paul finally ot out of his bed, dressed in the hospital gown and all, he snapped his eyes onto Ash and saw him. A scowl crossed his features.

"Ketchum." Paul spat and the anger once more flared up in Ash. Seeing him unconscious was a pity trigger. But now that he was awake, the anger returned.

"Paul." he returned with a scowl. Both of them were glaring such heavy daggers at each other that nether noticed Reggie leaving the room to go and get the doctor.

"What are you doing here?" Paul snarled out and Ash's own scowl deepened.

"I just woke you up." Ash stated and Paul laughed callously. "Go ahead, ask anybody in the room. You didn't wake up on your own."

"So now I have to go around telling the pathetic story about how Ash Ketchum was the one to wake me up and how I couldn't even do it on my own." Paul turned away from him, a feat that was much less impressive given he was still in his hospital gown.

"You could at least give a 'thank you', you know!" Ash said, a little too loudly. Paul scoffed.

"Why would I thank a loser?" Paul's cold air was pervading the room, and the others who were there began to slowly edge out, in fear of the confrontation that was to come.

"What did you say?" Ash yelled and Paul's eyes glinted malevolently.

"You heard exactly what I said. You-are-a-loser." Paul accentuated each word with a finger pointed at Ash's chest. Ash could only succumb himself to a low growl.

"Yeah…well, at least I wasn't a loser enough to land myself in a coma." Ash finally retorted after a minute of silence and Paul's body froze up, anger coursing through him like ice.

"So you think you're better than me?" Paul whipped around, a fury ablaze in his eyes akin to that of when he was facing Pyramid King Brandon. "Fine, _Ketchum_, full battle, 6-on-6, right now. We'll see who's better."

"Yeah, sorry, but I've been out of practice for three years, you know, what with the war going on. I had to prepare for that since I've been in hiding. Sorry that I haven't had time to catch up on my Pokemon training!" Now Ash's eyes were alight with the spark of hatred and Paul's scowl furthered.

"Yeah, well, neither have I. So neither of us have the advantage over the other." Paul scoffed soon after making this statement. "Of course, you're probably just as weak as ever, so what does it matter?"

"Fine. Full battle, no time limit, substitutions allowed! First to defeat all six is the winner." Ash said with a snarl and Paul smirked.

"You're on."

-CT-

"This battle will be a full six on six battle between Ash of Pallet Town and Paul of Veilstone City. As such, substitutions will be allowed and there is no time limit. A coin toss will be used to decide who moves first." said the referee from the Veilstone Gym. Paul and Ash were standing on a grassy battlefield, Pikachu standing to Ash's side, sparks flying from his cheeks. Paul just stood there, in his usual attire, a cold look on his face. In the benches set up to the side of the battlefield sat all of Ash's friends, Reggie, and Maylene. Brock, Dawn, and Barry all stared at the field with intense looks on their faces.

After Reggie had returned with the doctor he saw the glares and heard of the challenge that the two had made. The doctor quickly checked him over and was surprised to say he had a completely clean bill of health. He let Paul go, only on the provision that he stay in Veilstone a few days. After Paul had changed, they left the hospital and went back to Reggie and Paul's house. Paul did a look over his Pokemon, trying to see whether they had softened up. Then he chose his six and the entire group made their way to the now tense battlefield.

"I don't understand, why is everything so tense about this battle?" May asked in utter confusion. Brock was the one to answer the question for her.

"If you knew even half of the story between these two, then I think you'd understand." May was still confused when Drew decided to speak up about the matter.

"Yeah, but it almost seems like they hate one another. I've had my fair share of rivals and I've never hated any of them." Drew said and next to him, Misty nodded.

"That's true. Ash never even really hated Gary, but this…this seems totally different." Misty swallowed hard as she watched the two walk to the center of the field in order to shake hands. From her distance it looked as if they were restraining the will to break each other's faces. Dawn suddenly spoke up.

"They've battled twice before. Paul won the first time, Ash won the second. This is the tie breaker." No more needed to be said when the referee announced the coin toss. Paul chose tails, as always, leaving Ash with heads. The coin landed on tails.

"Magmortar, stand by for battle!" Paul yelled out and sent his Magmortar out of its pokeball. Ash took a moment to examine the situation and chose his Pokemon.

"Muk, I choose you!" The poison Pokemon came out of its pokeball with a great cry of "Muk!" and Ash smirked, hoping he had chosen a good match. Paul's smirk slightly faded to one of surprise but it didn't last long.

"Magmortar, use Rock Tomb!" Magmortar held its cannon out in front and started firing purple flames that went sailing towards Muk.

"Muk, expand your body! Make it thinner!" Ash ordered and Muk complied, his body becoming that of a pool as Magmortar angled his rocks to hit every part of Muk possible. This was the move that Ash had been hoping for and with a smirk he gave his next order. "Now, tighten up! Bring your body back in!"

"Muk!" the poison Pokemon cried, suddenly forming back into his usual body. The rocks fell to the side harmlessly, completely missing Muk. Paul scoffed.

"Fine, Magmortar, use Smog!" Magmortar breathed a thick smoke that obscured the battlefield. Ash grimaced, knowing Muk wasn't going to be able to find Magmortar in the thick fog.

"Muk, tense up your body and get ready to use Acid Armor." Ash order and Muk stopped looking around, deciding instead to tighten its body. Then Ash saw it, the flash of flame that spurted out of Magmortar's cannons, aiming for Muk. "All right Muk, now!" Muk let a shiny gleam cover its body as the Flamethrower hit. Muk grimaced slightly but as the smoke cleared, it didn't seem harmed in the slightest. "Now, Sludge Bomb!" Muk reared back and fired out a barrage of poisonous projectiles at Magmortar. Magmortar didn't have time to dodge and it struck the Pokemon.

"Magmortar, return!" Paul called out, calling back his Pokemon. "Standby, Torterra!" The great continent Pokemon emerged from its pokeball with a cry and Ash did some quick thinking.

"Muk, great job, return! I choose you, Bulbasaur!" Ash's only first remaining capture as a Pokemon trainer came out with its battle face on.

"You're choosing an unevolved starter to battle against a completely evolved starter. You're more pathetic than I thought."

"We'll see about that, Paul!" Ash snarled out and Bulbasaur hunkered on his legs. From the sidelines Reggie gave a small scoff at the situation unfolding before them.

"Funny, how they've been away for three years and their battle skills are still the same as ever." Reggie shook his head. "I mean, I know that Pokemon battling is like riding a bike…but this is ridiculous." The others merely observed him as he talked before turning their attention back to the battlefield.

"Torterra, give them a taste of Earthquake!" Paul ordered and Torterra reared up on its hindlegs. Ash did quick strategizing before tossing out an order.

"Bulbasaur, use Vine Whip to launch yourself into the air!" Ash ordered and with tremendous force, the small Pokemon struck at the ground and flung itself into the air. Torterra landed with a mighty force, but Bulbasaur's timely move, caused it to avoid the attack. "All right, follow up with Razor Leaf!" Bulbasaur sent the leaves spinning from its bulb, striking Torterra in the head. Torterra simply stood there and took it. Ash knew that there was no way Bulbasaur was going to take down Torterra unless he fought smartly. "All right, let's hit it with Stun Spore!"

The golden powder drifted from Bulbasaur and Paul cursed in his mind, knowing Torterra had no speed to stop it. The Stun Spore hit and Torterra hunkered down a bit, suffering from the paralysis. With another grimace, Paul quickly called Torterra back before tossing out his next pokeball onto the battlefield. Ursaring emerged, growling loudly and Ash took a step back, remembering his other encounters with the vicious bear. And with that thought in his mind Ash formulated his plan. With no deliberation necessary, Paul ordered the use of Hammer Arm. Ursaring's arms glowed as it ran at Bulbasaur and Ash quickly figured that dodging would be useless.

"Bulbasaur, brace yourself with Vine Whip!" Ash ordered and Bulbasaur did so, just as Ursaring slammed into the small Pokemon. However, Bulbasaur was not tossed back and instead held its ground. Ursaring jumped back after the impact, a feral look on its face. "Now, counter with Sleep Powder!"

"Not a chance!" Paul snarled. "Secret Power!" Ursaring glowed with power and Ash ordered for Bulbasaur to dodge. Bulbasaur quickly did so with a whip of his vines to the side. Ursaring was then struck with the powder. The bear Pokemon's eyes drooped before it finally fell to the ground in sleep.

"Let's finish with Solar Beam!" Ash ordered and Bulbasaur began gathering light at its bulb.

"Ursaring, wake up!" Paul ordered but the hibernator Pokemon didn't stir as Bulbasaur finished gathering up light and firing it out. It struck Ursaring and the Pokemon flew backwards, landing on the ground with a hard thud, fainted.

"Ursaring is unable to battle, Bulbasaur is the winner!" the referee said and Paul called back his fallen Pokemon. Bulbasaur looked at Ash in triumph, who smiled at him. Paul threw his next Pokemon, Honchkrow, onto the field.

"Still up for a little more battling, buddy?" Ash asked his Pokemon and Bulbasaur nodded. "All right, kick it off with Razor Leaf!" bulbasaur spent the spinning leaves from its bulb towards the Big Boss Pokemon.

"Dodge and come in with Night Slash quick!" Honchkrow effortlessly avoided the attacks of Bulbasaur and came soaring in, its wings glowing a dark purple. Bulbasaur had no time to dodge as the attack struck head on. Bulbasaur flew backward but managed to land on all fours. Bulbasaur grimaced and one of its legs sank a little but the Pokemon wanted to keep fighting.

"Try and latch onto Honchkrow with your Vine Whip and pull it down!" Ash ordered and Bulbasaur's vines shot straight up towards Honchkrow. Honchkrow easily avoided the Pokemon's attack and Paul ordered for it to start charging up Sky Attack. "Cut off the attack. Get ready to use Sleep Powder when Honchkrow comes down." Bulbasaur withdrew its vines just as Honchkrow came sailing down. Bulbasaur blew a blast of sleep powder at Honchkrow, but the force of the bird flying past him instead directed the Sleep Powder onto Bulbasaur. Honchkrow quickly circled around and nailed Bulbasaur right on the spot.

"Bulbasaur is unable to battle, Honchkrow wins." Ash quickly called Bulbasaur back before turning to Pikachu. No words were needed and Pikachu came out onto the field. The two trainers didn't waste a second to breathe. Paul ordered and Night Slash while Ash ordered a Thunderbolt. Honchkrow got the worst end of the deal, getting quite a large zap, while Pikachu only got slightly nicked on the side. Paul called Honchkrow back immediately, sending out Electabuzz instead. That was five Pokemon of Paul's side that had been called out now while Ash had only called out three. They were tied too, the battle could still go either way.

"Pikachu, move in close with an Iron Tail!" Ash ordered of Pikachu and Pikachu went dashing forward, leaping into the air.

"Electabuzz, Protect!" Electabuzz shielded itself with a blue green orb that Pikachu collided with but made no dent in.

"Don't worry, Pikachu, keep it up!" As soon as Pikachu landed on the ground he jumped up and slammed the shield with the glowing tail once again. All at once, the shield shattered and Pikachu made its first contact. Electabuzz stumbled backward. "Volt Tackle!" Pikachu started running forward.

"Pika pika pika pika pika pika…" Pikachu was soon surrounded in a blaze of electricity. It slammed into Electabuzz suddenly, but this time, Paul was ready.

"Thunder Punch, now!" Paul ordered and Electabuzz's fist came a slammed Pikachu in the stomach, sending the small Pokemon backward. When Pikachu landed he quickly got up, but Ash noticed the slightly more heavy breathing that previously. Of course, that wasn't to say that Electabuzz hadn't been damaged by Pikachu's attack either.

"All right, Pikachu, come on back. Gabite, you're up!" Ash tossed a pokeball onto field as Pikachu retreated, Ash's Gabite emerging from its pokeball with a slight growl. Paul scowled. He didn't want to call Electabuzz back just yet. So he decided to make the most of things.

"Light Screen!" Paul ordered just as Ash ordered a Rock Smash attack. Electabuzz barely got the light screen up before Gabite slammed into Electabuzz. Electabuzz reeled from the attack. "Brick Break!" Now Electabuzz ran forward. Ash ordered for Gabite to defend, but against the onslaught of Brick Breaks coming at him, it was hopeless. Gabite eventually got a Brick Break on his head and Ash knew he couldn't prolong the battle any longer.

"Now, Gabite, Draco Meteor!" Ash ordered and Gabite leapt into the air, an orange glow surrounding him. From his location on the battlefield, Ash couldn't help but laugh as Piplup scurried around, trying to get away from the battlefield, though Dawn held on tight. At last Gabite let the rush of energy out and the meteor struck Electabuzz with a fury. Gabite quickly followed up with a Dragon Pulse that left Electabuzz sprawled on the battlefield. Paul called his Pokemon back and deliberated what to send next against Ash. He reached quickly for Honchkrow's pokeball again and sent the bird Pokemon out. "Gabite, return." Paul gave a sharp look of surprise at this move. Muk was the next one out.

"Honchkrow, Night Slash!" Paul ordered once again.

"Muk, absorb it with your body and smother it!" Ash quickly said. Honchkrow was already on the collision course with Muk and was quickly caught in the trap. Paul grimaced before his own rather unorthodox idea came to him.

"Use Sky Attack and break out of there!" Muk didn't know what hit it as it went flying backward. Honchkrow circled around with a smug look on its face as Ash's face made a small tick.

"Fine then, use Sludge Bomb rapid fire!" Muk complied and a number of projectiles went firing out. One of them landed straight on Honchkrow's wing, causing it to plummet straight down to the ground. "Finish it with Body Slam!" And that was the end of Honchkrow's battle, putting the favor in Ash's direction three to one. Now Paul knew what it felt like to be on the receiving end of this kind of treatment.

"Magmortar, standby!" The Blast Pokemon emerged once again, and Ash once more decided to keep Muk in the fray, ordering for it to use a quick Sludge Bomb. "Use Rock Tomb and block it." The strategy worked perfectly and Magmortar avoided all of the attacks before making a sudden appearance and hitting Muk with Flamethrower. The intensity of the attack, combined with the earlier Flamethrower and Sky Attack were enough to incapacitate Muk.

"Muk is unable to battle, Magmortar is the winner." Ash called Muk back and looked at the pokeball fondly.

"You put up a great fight out there. But now it's your turn, Gabite!" Ash once more called Gabite onto the battlefield. Paul smirked. "Gabite, Dragon Pulse!" Gabite sent the blue orb sailing at Magmortar, but Magmortar simply brought its cannons up to block the attacks before complying with another on of Paul's orders and surrounding Gabite with Rock Tomb. Ash somehow knew what was coming next. Both Paul and Magmortar were getting into the groove and there was no stopping them now. True to Ash's suspicious, Magmortar positioned itself above the rocks and sent a Smog, followed by a Flamethrower into the small and enclosed space. The pressure broke the rocks and Ash ordered for Gabite to Dig, but Magmortar suddenly landed a surprise new move, Fire Punch, knocking Gabite out of the match. The match was tied again. "Pikachu, you good for some more battling?" Ash asked and Pikachu nodded fiercely.

"Magmortar, Flamethrower on Pikachu now!" Paul ordered and Magmortar instantly obeyed.

"Counter shield Thunder!" Ash yelled and Pikachu suddenly began spinning around, thunder spiraling all around it, blocking the attack of Magmortar's. "Now stop spinning and use Iron Tail!" At once, Pikachu was up in the air, his tail glowing not only white but also yellow with electricity. The attack struck Magmotar on the head and Pikachu retreated. Ash breathed a small sigh of relief before Pikachu's body was suddenly surrounded in flames. _Of course!_ Ash mentally slapped himself._ I completely forgot about Flame Body!_ "Pikachu, come back. Squirtle, I choose you!"

"Squirtle squirt squirtle!" the small turtle Pokemon said proudly, sliding the suddenly appearing sunglasses onto his face. "Squirtle, use Skull Bash!" Ash ordered, knowing he was taking a double risk what with the charge up time _and_ Flame Body, but he felt it was well worth the risk.

"Magmortar, counter with Rock Tomb!" Predictably, the rocks formed a near impenetrable shield which Squirtle quickly broke through with its attack. However, Magmortar was nowhere in sight. Instead, the Blast Pokemon was up above.

"I figured as much. Squirtle, use Hydro Pump!" Squirtle retreated inside its shell and started spinning, jets of water blasting out of the holes. Magmortar stood no chance of escaping it and was struck head on, and was soon struck out of the match. Paul called back Magmortar and sent out Torterra. What happened next, happened fast. Ash recalled Squirtle and sent out Charizard. Upon seeing the Pokemon, Paul called back Torterra and sent out Hariyama. Feeling he didn't need Charizard out quite yet, Ash called Charizard back and sent out Squirtle. It was a mistake. Not a few seconds into the match did Hariyama set up a defense with Arm Thrust that blocked all of Squirtle's attacks and soon knocked the small turtle Pokemon out, once more tying them up. Now Ash once more called on Charizard.

"Hariyama, use Brick Break on Charizard!" Paul ordered but Ash knew where his advantage lied and he was confident of Charizard's strength to finish the battle as quickly as possible.

"Charizard, in the air and pin Haryiama with Steel Wing!" Charizard gave a roar and lifted off into the air, avoiding Hariyama's attack before quickly coming in with a Steel Wing. It landed perfectly. "Now, use a Flaming Seismic Toss!" Charizard knew exactly what his trainer wanted as it picked up Hariyama and began spinning in air. As it did so, flames came from its mouth and enveloped the pair before they came crashing down. Charizard seemed a little scratche dup, but otherwise fine. Hariyama was out cold. Paul's face contorted. He was down to one Pokemon. So he sent out Torterra. "All right, let's make this quick, Charizard, Flamethrower!"

Charizard quickly complied, a spurt of flame coming from its mouth. Torterra had no choice but to take it. Paul knew that most of his Pokemon's moves were useless against Charizard. Except for one. And that was when the evil glint came into his eye. "Stone Edge." he breathed and the pointed stones suddenly appeared around Torterra. Ash saw it happening and ordered Charizard to break off the attack. Charizard quickly took to the air, but Torterra's accuracy was dead on and Charizard quickly crumpled to the ground. With a saddened heart, Ash called Charizard back. He looked over to see that Torterra was suffering heavily from the attacks. Ash cast a glance to Pikachu, but found the Pokemon was already on the field.

"Torterra, use Leaf Storm!" Paul ordered but Ash got his game face on.

"Pikachu, dodge it with a Quick Attack!" Pikachu obeyed and managed to avoid the direct attack. Pikachu kept rushing forward. Just as it was about to be within Torterra's range, Ash followed up with another command. "Now use Iron Tail!" Pikachu let his momentum carry him forward as Pikachu struck Torterra's head with amazing force and leapt away.

"Torterra, use Giga Drain, now!" Paul ordered and Ash saw only one shot out.

"Counter Shield Thunderbolt!" Pikachu spun in midair, sending off sparks of lightning. The Giga Drain partially touched Pikachu but the Thunderbolt soon ripped it away. Pikachu landed. Then the flame came back to suddenly consume its body. "All right, one more time with Iron Tail!" Pikachu ran forward again.

"Torterra, Frenzy Plant!" Ash's heart clutched. If Frenzy Plant got off before the attack, it could be the end. But paralysis gripped Torterra and it suddenly began moving slower. Pikachu finally reached Torterra as it started to move. Pikachu leapt into the air and slammed down once more with Iron Tail just as Torterra threw the Frenzy Plant out, knocking Pikachu into the air. Pikachu flew backwards and landed with a thud on the ground as Torterra stood there, breathing heavily. A flame consumed Pikachu's body as it lay there and for a moment, the battlefield was silent. The referee was about to make his announcement when Pikachu started getting up.

"Pi-ka…" Pikachu grunted out as it stood up on its two feet. Paul looked at him with surprise. Then, with a loud bang, Torterra collapsed to the ground.

"Torterra is unable to battle, therefore Pikachu is the winner. The victory goes to Ash of Pallet Town!" With a bright and giddy smile, Ash ran over to Pikachu who promptly collapsed in his arms.

"You did awesome out there buddy. Not bad for our first battle in three years, huh?" Pikachu just licked Ash's cheek and Ash laughed at the tickling sensation. In the stands, all of the spectators could breathe that this battle was over. Until they saw the two rivals look at each other. And they knew, then and there.

The rivalry was far from over.

**

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**

Author's Note: YES! You don't know how hard this was to write…and I probably rushed the ending there a little. Oh well. Starting from here, the book will be very fun to write, especially with the addition of Paul into the equation. Where will everything go from here? I don't know. (Well, actually I do but I'm not telling any of you…so sorry). On an entirely different note: the results of the poll are in and many of you would want to read my one shot. Well, we'll see. I do have some ideas and all, and there is only one scene of spoilerificness (and therefore must wait until AFTER Book III) at this point. But first, we need to see what will happen with Ash and the gang now. Also, I have a forum on my profile page regarding this story so visit and make some posts and threads to speculate about what may happen. I hope to see you there. So, until the next chapter (which should be shorter, and slightly funnier), please REVIEW and Dare to Be Silly.

**P.S. Happy 4th of July!**


	9. Recruits

**In honor of the fifty reviews that I reached some time ago, I've drafted Barry to do the disclaimer.**

**Barry: Man, this stinks! I gotta get back to training. Come on Empoleon.**

**Barry, do the disclaimer first.**

**Barry: Fine...**

**Um...okay, yeah, I don't.**

* * *

Recruits

"So you'll be staying in Veilstone a few days longer?" Delia Ketchum asked her son over the phone. After the battle had finished Paul seemed to be a little tired and went to go rest. Ash just let him go. But at the same time, he was concerned for the trainer. He didn't know what kind of side effects using aura on another person could cause. After all, Aaron had told him bringing people back from the dead was a big no-no, but wasn't waking someone from a coma a little different? Ash hoped so, but he decided to stick around at Paul's place in Veilstone to see if Paul truly had made a full recovery. So, he needed to call his mother to let her know he was staying a few extra days than planned.

"Yeah, sorry about it mom but it's just something that I feel I need to do, you know." Ash said and his mother smiled.

"As long as you'll be safe, I'm fine with it, okay, Ash." Ash gave a thumbs up to his own mother.

"Don't worry about it mom! I'll be fine here, okay, besides, most of the others are heading home. Something about some kind of Pallet Town Party." Ash said with a shrug of his shoulders before his eyes narrowed towards his mother. "You're not planning anything for when I get home, are you mom?"

"Why would I do that, honey? I thought we already had dinner when you came back." Mrs. Ketchum's look was completely unassuming and Ash wanted to believe her but his mother had always been prone to surprise parties and he wasn't willing to assume anything just yet. So Ash just gave a sigh.

"All right, then. I'll see you when I get back. Brock and the others should be home by tomorrow, okay?" Mrs. Ketchum gave him an acknowledgement before the two disconnected the phone. Ash poked his head outside the room to see Brock and the others lining up to return. Brock was having a slight, spirited conversation with Reggie and the others were merely chatting aimlessly. Paul was nowhere to be seen. Ash folded his arms. Paul had been completely against Ash staying in the first place. But some careful prodding from Reggie forced him to see that having someone around who _might_ (this being an extreme stretch of the word) be considered a friend was a comforting thought. Ash strode boldly out of the room and up to his friends.

"Everything good, Ash?" Max asked and Ash nodded.

"Yep, mom knows you guys are coming home and everything. I'll be back in a few days." Ash said, briefly taking his hat off his head.

"You sure you'll be fine?" Brock asked, finishing his conversation with Reggie and Ash just gave a slight scoff.

"Pssh, of course I will. If turning to stone couldn't beat me, what do you think possibly could?" Ash said with a hearty shrug of his shoulders. "Besides, I have Barry here with me…wherever he is." A loud "Let's get ice cream Empoleon!" rang through the house and everyone sighed.

"No offense to Barry but…uh…that's not much consolation." Dawn said with a slight grimace on her face and Ash laughed at the all too true statement.

"Well, Pikachu's here, so I'll be fine. Isn't that right, buddy?" Ash said, turning to the yellow Pokemon that had just come into the room and hopped on Ash's shoulder.

"Pika!" Pikachu affirmed and everyone at last relented themselves to the fact that Ash would be separate from them for a few days. Ash saw the distressed looks on their faces.

"Hey, I'm not going anywhere, so stop worrying. I'm not about to go and get myself disappeared or whatever. So go home and enjoy yourselves, okay guys?" Max was the first one to finally agree and he led the group out the door. Once the door closed behind them, Ash breathed a sigh of relief. "And for a moment I thought they'd never leave."

"You don't want to see your friends?" Reggie asked with a slight smirk as he made his way over to the kitchen to make lunch.

"Naw, I love my friends and all, but even the Chosen One needs some space." Ash said with a chuckle and Pikachu laughed along with him.

"Three years of solitude isn't enough I guess…" Reggie said jokingly. Ash glared at him.

"Hey, it's an entirely different princi, princi, principle! That's the word!" Ash said and Reggie just laughed, turning back to making lunch.

"You can sit and wait in the living room if you'd like. I'll have lunch ready in just a moment." Reggie said as he chopped up some tomatoes. "Or you can go find Barry."

"No thank you. His legs tend to work faster than his brain, and his mouth even faster than that. I'll have no chance of finding him and making it back here in time." Reggie gave a slight chuckle as he continued to work. Silence soon fell between the two of them for a time, the sound of the knife hitting the cutting board being the only thing both of them heard. Ash saw Pikachu quickly sneak into the kitchen and soon come out with a bottle of ketchup. On the inside, Ash felt himself roaring with laughter, but couldn't quite get himself to do it out loud. Pikachu slumped against the wall and began to slurp the ketchup bottle noisily. The phone rang. Reggie sighed and placed the ingredients for lunch down, soon proceeding to wash his hands. He went to answer it, leaving Ash alone with Pikachu and his ketchup.

"Where's Reggie?" came the cold voice of Paul and Ash looked up at his purple haired rival. Paul did look better now than he did yesterday. It was no surprise. A night of good sleep would do that to you. But the anger both boys still had towards one another was ever present in the stiff words Paul spoke to Ash.

"Phone call." Ash answered.

"I see." Paul responded. "Lunch ready?"

"Almost, but not quite." The response didn't change anything. Paul just turned on his heel and walked towards the kitchen.

"Then I'll be waiting." No more words were exchanged. Merely a scowl that crossed Ash's face as he watched Paul's retreating back. In the other room, Reggie could be heard carrying on a rather rushed conversation. Ash let out a deep breath and leaned back, without realizing that he had been already leaning against the couch. As such, he promptly fell over and crashed to the ground, rubbing his head. The crash seemed to have alerted Reggie in some way because he came out of the room and looked at Ash as he got up.

"Call's for you, Ash." Reggie said and Ash's confusion was never more clearly conveyed than by his wide eyes and hanging mouth.

"Why me? What for?" Ash asked quickly and Reggie rolled his eyes, stepping out of the way to allow Ash into the room with the phone. Ash decided there was nothing against it and so he went to answer the phone. "Flint!"

"Heya Ash, how ya been?" said the energetic red haired trainer of the Sinnoh Elite Four.

"I've been fine, I guess…" Ash said.

"Great to hear. I'm guessing Pikachu's good too. Good to see your back to a semi-normal life." Flint let off a guffaw at this and Ash couldn't resist the laughter himself. Flint soon cut off the somewhat joyful reunion. "So anyway, we've got something in the works for which you might be interested."

"Uh, define 'something'…" Ash said with a slight chuckle and Flint's smile slightly dropped.

"Uh, I thought Cynthia told you we might be calling. Or did you forget?" Flint said with eyebrows raised. Ash racked his brain for any memory of the conversation. It soon floated to the surface of his brain. Of course Cynthia had told him; but with everything that had been going on the past three days, he had completely forced the conversation out of his head.

"Kinda…sorry…" Ash grinned sheepishly but Flint waved the simple matter off.

"Don't worry about it. Anyway, point is that we've put together a little special forces kind of deal. In other words, all of the Sinnoh Elite Four have joined together to make a group that goes on little missions for this war. We've figured out a possible location of their base and we're gonna go examine it soon. You in?"

"So you want me to come along to help you guys out on this mission to wherever?" Ash said and Flint nodded, stating that that was the gist of it. "Where is it to?"

"That will be our little secret until it comes time for the mission. So are you in?" Flint said with his persistent gaze directed at Ash.

"Sure." Ash grinned brightly. "When's the mission?"

"Two days time. We'll pick you up from Veilstone so stay put, huh?" Flint said. There was some dialogue in the background and Flint quickly turned away from the phone, yelling something incomprehensible before turning back to Ash. "We'll see you on the fifth then."

"All right. Tell Volkner I said hey." Flint nodded with a tickle of laughter.

"Will do. Take care." With that, the line went dead. Ash quickly walked out of the room and up to Pikachu, completely ignoring the fact that Paul was now sitting on the couch, staring straight at him.

"Pikachu, buddy," Ash said, shaking his oldest Pokemon slightly. Pikachu's ears twitched and he got up, the ketchup bottle rolling away from him. "Looks like it'll be a few days before we go back home to Pallet."

"What? Are you leaving or something?" Paul's voice snapped out. Ash stood up and turned towards him.

"Yeah I am. I've got things to do. Being the Chosen One means the world isn't gonna save itself." Ash said with a chuckle masked by a grimace.

"Oh, right…I forgot. Reggie told me you're supposedly supposed to be some kind of savior because of this war that cropped up while I was in a coma." Paul scoffed as he finished his sentence. "You fall asleep for three years and the entire world decides to destroy itself."

"In all fairness, there were lots of things that led up to this war. Unfortunately, I've been involved in it from the beginning." Ash sighed at this, realizing this simple truth for the very first time.

"Am I supposed to pity you?" Paul snarled out and Ash didn't respond. "Whatever. Where are you going anyway?"

"No idea. But it's a mission related to the war. That's good enough for me." Ash said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Well, if you're supposedly good enough to go, then I'll go to." Paul said. Ash waved his hands in front of his face.

"Nuh-uh, no way. I'm the Chosen One. I've got a responsibility. They asked me and me alone to come, not you." Ash said exasperatedly. "You'd probably just be a burden to them, or something like that."

"Are you saying I'm too weak? Besides, if I'd be a burden, then what about you, huh?" Paul said and Ash's eyes flared with anger.

"Who's calling who weak?" Ash yelled. "Either way, you're not coming and that's final!"

"I don't think that you get the final say in this do you?" Paul yelled. At that moment the door opened and Barry stepped in.

"Hey you guys!" Barry said cheerily, but the others didn't say a word. Barry quickly looked around. "Where are the others?"

"They left while you were out getting ice cream." Ash replied, his eyes never leaving Paul's. Barry went mumbling on before he finally realized the tension that was filling the room.

"Uh, what are you guys fighting about now?" Barry asked, his eyebrows arched.

"I've got a mission with the Elite Four and Paul says he wants to go but I think it's a stupid idea." Ash said with venom and Paul laughed callously.

"And I think it doesn't matter what he says or thinks. I'm going along whether he likes it or not." Paul snapped. "I haven't trained Pokemon for three years."

"Exactly, so you haven't been traveling or anything. How would be able to handle yourself in anything like a battle?" Ash yelled, throwing his hands into the air.

"Oh, like you could!" Paul screamed. "What does it matter about you anyway? Even if I haven't been out there in three years, this would be perfect for me to get back into the groove of training."

"Training? What's that? Abusing your Pokemon!" Ash yelled, his temper fully flaring.

"What gives you the right to criticize my training methods?" Barry's eyes flicked back and forth between the two trainers. And seeing his moment he stepped in quickly.

"All right guys, no need to fight today." Barry said and the two stopped yelling at each other. However, the glares on their faces told Barry that this fight wasn't going away. "Okay, it's decided! Since Paul is so set on going and Ash doesn't think that's a good idea, and you two would end up fighting…I'll come too!"

"WHAT?" Ash and Paul yelled, nearly causing Reggie to drop the tray he was carrying as he entered the living room.

"Um…lunch is served?" Reggie stated with hesitation as all three boys ignored him, the tension in the room persisting.

-CT-

The fifth came sooner than expected. Of course, it was no wonder it passed by so quickly when the boys were either arguing with one another or avoiding each other. Paul had already resumed a regimented training of his Pokemon, while Ash decided his efforts would be better put to use by practicing aura. Meanwhile, Barry took it upon himself to annoy each and every one of them, including Reggie. Thus it was that each of them woke up on the fifth much happier than they had the previous days, knowing that after this day they'd be shot of each other once and for all. It was around noon, when Ash, Paul, and Barry were sitting around languidly that a knock on the front door was heard. Reggie answered it.

"Well, I guess it's time to be going." Ash said, stretching a bit as Pikachu hopped on his shoulder. Paul stood up with a blank expression on his face while Barry attempted to flip off the couch, landing on his butt. Reggie came back, both Flint and Lucian in tow.

"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed upon the sight of Flint. Flint gave the small Pokemon a wave before looking straight at Ash.

"So, you ready to go?" Flint asked with a grin and Ash nodded.

"Yep." Ash said before Paul cleared his throat. Ash rolled his eyes at this. "Oh yeah, Paul and Barry want to come along too…even though I told them it was a bad idea."

"And I would say Ash is right." Lucian said, closing the book he was reading with a sudden snap. Ash turned to both Paul and Barry with a smug look on his face. "Any other people on this mission may just compromise it. We have no room for amateurs here."

"Hey, that's not fair! I'm totally better than Ash!" Barry yelled out and Ash felt the corners of his mouth twitch in agitation. Flint rubbed the back of his head at this statement.

"I honestly don't know what to say. Having extra people on hand could be helpful but I'm quite inclined to agree with Lucian. I mean, I know Paul was in the top two in the Sinnoh League, but…uh…Barry, was it? I can hardly see what you could help us with." Flint chuckled out. Reggie took this moment to step forward and speak about the issue.

"If I can add in my own statement about this." Reggie said. "Take them along. I'm sure you can find some way to use the both of them. Besides both my brother and Barry are quite competent trainers, at least as competent as Ash, so why not?" Ash locked his gaze on to Reggie and glared at him. he knew Reggie was saying these things just to get the three of them off his hands. Lucian emitted a sigh.

"All right, the two of you can come. But-" Lucian emphasized this word by pointing his book straight at them. "No horseplay or we will make you stay in the jet, understand?" Paul nodded curtly while Barry punched his fist in the air. Ash sighed in defeat and followed both Lucian and Flint out, Barry and Paul trailing behind him. They walked in silence until they reached the Veilstone airport, where the Elite Four jet was waiting.

"About time you got back here Flint! I was starting to get bored. What did you do, grab a cup of coffee?" came an elderly yet snappy voice which Ash recognized as Bertha's. Flint scoffed loudly.

"Yeah, I did." Flint said sarcastically.

"You get a receipt?" Aaron asked, turning around to face them. "Hey Ash!"

"Hey, Aaron, how ya been?" Aaron started to answer him while Bertha quickly got up and walked into the pilot's room.

"Bertha'll be the one piloting." Flint said abruptly, breaking the flow of Ash and Aaron's conversation.

"You still haven't told me where we're going quite yet." Ash said, folding his arms. Flint just sat down and indicated for the others to do the same as the plane began to rise into the air.

"Snowpoint Temple." Flint stated quickly. "If I remember correctly, and I know that I do, Regigigas was once there, and as Regigigas was once sighted attacking us, we know it's a threat that needs to be taken care of."

"Still don't understand what Snowpoint Temple has to do with this…" Ash mumbled and Lucian let out a dry chuckle.

"We believe it may in fact be one of their bases. After all, they have to plan these attacks somewhere right. So we're going to sneak in and see if it is indeed their base." Lucian informed them.

"Wait, you said, 'sneak in'. What does that mean?" Paul said with a slight scowl.

"Exactly that. We're landing outside Snowpoint City and we'll walk the rest of the way, through the mountain path, to the Snowpoint Temple."

"Aw man, that stinks!" Barry exclaimed

"Suck it up Barry." Ash said and Barry glared at him angrily.

"Just relax guys, it'll probably take an hour or two to get there anyway." And with that statement, Flint just leaned back and closed his eyes. Ash decided there was no use arguing and so he did the same, making sure that his hat covered the majority of his face. He felt he had rested maybe five minutes when suddenly there was a slight lurch in the plane, indicating that they were touching down. And moments later, the seven of them were standing outside, facing towards the mountain path.

"Pokemon out everyone." Bertha said with a slightly harsh tone. The next instant there were six flashes of light revealing an Infernape, and Empoleon, a Torterra, Bronzong, Vespiquen and a Gliscor. "All right, Aaron and I will take front; Lucian and the two kids I don't know take middle. Ash and Flint, you guys get the rear and protect our flanks, got it?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Ash and Flint said, saluting her. "When'd she turn all army general?" Flint shrugged his shoulders.

"I want to say it was last night, but who knows…" Flint said.

"Move out!" Bertha commanded and the group started forward It was slow and, in Ash's mind, completely boring. The only thing that saved him was his discussion with Flint about Volkner and the recent challenges of the Elite Four.

"You think you would have challenged us, had all this not happened?" Flint asked honestly and Ash thought about.

"I dunno…maybe. But come on, I wasn't at your level when we battled in Sunyshore City." Ash said and Flint nodded.

"When could you ever be at their level anyway?" Paul asked callously.

"Shut up, Paul, I didn't ask your opinion." Ash said angrily and Paul snickered. Flint's eyes flicked back and forth between the two, trying to search for some insight into their story. "Man, why are we even marching in formation anyway. It's not like there's anything attacking us!"

"Just a precaution…even if I do agree." Flint said and Ash looked at him in surprise. Flint just pointed ahead of the group. "There's Snowpoint Temple, anyhow." And so it was. Ash remembered the building from four years ago, when Pokemon Hunter J had attempted to capture Regigigas for a client. And that was why Ash couldn't understand why the Regis were on the other side. After all, they had come to an understanding with Brandon when he had sacrificed himself to save them. So why now…Ash cut his thoughts off upon entering the antechamber of the temple.

"They're gone." Ash said suddenly.

"What's gone?" Bertha asked, her gaze flicking to Ash.

"The three pillars: Regice, Regirock, and Registeel." Ash said. His worst fear was confirmed. The three Regis that were on the other side weren't the protectors of the Tree of Beginning. No, they were Brandon's old allies.

"What does it mean?" Barry asked with a confused look.

"It means that this isn't a base." Lucian said. He took his glasses off his face and rubbed his eyes. "They're elsewhere. It was a wasted trip." Everyone sighed.

"So, Paul, I thought you said this would help you train." Ash said. "Didn't see much training here…"

"Shut up, Ketchum, I didn't ask your opinion." Paul said and Ash laughed back at him. Then there was a loud grinding noise and the entire temple began shaking.

"Aaron, check what's going on outside!" Bertha yelled and Aaron ran off without a word, Vespiquen following after.

"What do we do now, Captain Bertha?" Flint asked. "I'm hoping you're not gonna tell us to go even further into this temple!"

"Depends. If this is just an earthquake, then it should pass and we'll be just fine." Bertha said with a shrug. Flint's eyes grew wide and he strode up to Bertha quickly.

"Are you kidding me? We're in a war Bertha! If this was just an Earthquake then why isn't Aaron back yet? We're kind of right next to the entrance!" And Bertha came to the sudden and same realization as Flint.

"Everyone, out of this temple! NOW!" Bertha ordered and no one needed telling twice. All semblance of order lost, the six of them quickly filed out to see Aaron and his Vespiquen battling another Pokemon: Deoxys.

"Infernape, Close Combat!" Flint ordered and Infernape suddenly raced forward, its fists slamming into Deoxys and catching it off guard. Deoxys broke off its attack and took to the sky where it caught sight of Ash.

_Palkia! The Chosen One is here!_ Ash grimaced at Deoxy's statement and summoned his Aura Sword in a flash.

"Oh come on! Is it too much to ask to cut me one break?" Ash yelled, but his cry was lost amidst the sounds of multiple attacks being launched. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt on Deoxys!" Pikachu complied immediately, sending a bolt of lightning straight at the DNA Pokemon whoo simply snickered and used Double Team to create multiple images of itself. The Thunderbolt simply phased through the closest one.

"Torterra, Leaf Storm!" Paul ordered while Barry ordered a Hydro Cannon from Empoleon. Both of these attacks completely missed the mark. Ash now realized both of them were standing next to him, while the Elite Four had taken positions in front of them, their own Pokemon aiming attacks at Deoxys.

"All right, fine!" Ash said, summoning an Aura Sphere in his hand and aiming it at Deoxys. Once more, the attacked passed through an imitation, with another imitation quickly taking its place. At this point, Deoxys was circling around too, making it more difficult still to tell which one was the real one. "Paul, Barry, duck!" The two looked at Ash in incredulous confusion while Ash swept his hand around his body, creating a floating circle of Aura Spheres. With a quick jerk of his wrist, the Spheres went flying. On instinct, the two ducked as the spheres sailed over them, embedding themselves into the ring of Deoxys. At once, the illusions vanished as Deoxys flew backwards. Ash smirked at the Pokemon.

"Gliscor, X-Scissor on Deoxys now!" Bertha yelled.

"Bronzong, Flash Cannon!" Lucian cried. Both of the Pokemon directed their attacks straight at Deoxys. The Flash Cannon hit first, knocking Deoxys off balance before Gliscor swooped in and landed a heavy X-Scissor. At this moment, the three younger members ordered their own Pokemon to attack. But Deoxys recovered in time and flew around the temple. Ash let out a breath, thinking, or rather, hoping, that they had won. Then there came a cry and both Deoxys and Palkia emerged to together, Palkia's arm glowing with a pinkish hue.

"Everybody run!" Ash yelled. But it was too late as Palkia swiped its hand forward, sending a pink ribbon of energy sailing at them. The attack only just missed the group, instead striking into the ground around them. The ground crumbled and an explosion ensued, throwing Ash, Paul, Barry and their Pokemon flying backwards. Unfortunately, none of them had realized their proximity to a cliff hanging over the forest down below. Paul and Barry went over immediately, not having the chance to grab anything. But Ash reached quickly enough, grabbing on to an outstretched rock, Pikachu doing the same just above him. Ash struggled, trying to pull himself up until he saw Pikachu slip from the rock he was holding on to. "No!" Ash took one hand off the rock and tried to grab Pikachu as he fell. He missed, and the rock that was securing him suddenly crumbled, breaking off from the mountainside. And Ash fell into the forest down below.

**

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**

Author's Note: I know…I'm sorry it took so long, but it was very hot here and working on the computer is no fun when it's so hot. Then, when it finally cooled down, I had errands to run to prevent me from writing. By the point that was over, it was like a week away from the episode Flint Sparks the Fire, which I wanted to see to characterize Flint correctly. Anyway, I'm sure you'll forgive me and the next chapter SHOULD come faster. But, on to the chapter. I enjoyed it personally. There was some humor, some action, some tension…and of course, a cliffhanger. Now, I'll have to let you know, next chapter will NOT focus on Ash or Paul or Barry or the Elite Four, or whoever was involved in that whole debacle there. Ooh, next chapter will be fun. But, until then, hold on. However, before we part I would like to say that yes, by the end of DP, Ash and Paul seem to respect each other more. This is true, I show it a little bit. But Ash waking Paul up from the coma has caused the tension you see between the two of them now. Oh yeah, and obviously following DP184, my plot diverges from the anime since you may remember I said Ash and Paul faced in the finals when they are actually facing in the top eight. Now, with that out of the way, just hold tight. In the meantime, REVIEW and Dare to Be Silly.


	10. Raid on Pallet

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Pokemon in any way and I'm really starting to get sick of this. Damn it! Next time I'm drafting a character to do this.**

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Raid on Pallet

"And dinner is served!" Brock announced to the group at large as he placed the pot roast which he and Mrs. Ketchum had worked on all afternoon, onto the table. The Pokemon that were surrounding the table had their eyes light up in anticipation whilst everyone else felt their mouths water at the succulent meat on the table.

"It looks great Brock!" Misty exclaimed loudly as Brock unhooked his apron and sat down at the table.

"Well thank you very much, Misty. Now, everybody, dig in!" All at once there was a flurry of movement at the table as everybody began to grab for dinner. Mrs. Ketchum came into the room soon after and sat on a chair detached from the table, staring fondly at all of them with a smile. She didn't say anything as all of them devoured the food placed in front of them. When the meal had started to dwindle and all of her guests' stomachs were beginning to get full she stood up and cleared her throat loudly. Each and every eye at the table turned to look at her.

"As you all know we have yet to throw Ash a proper coming home party. Therefore, Samuel and I have gotten together all of the residents of Pallet in order to throw the biggest party we've ever seen right at the professor's lab. As all of you know, you guys are going to help us set it up."

"Yeah, we get that, Mrs. Ketchum but what were you and Professor Oak talking about tomorrow night for?" Max asked and Mrs. Ketchum chuckled, nearly sending a chuckle down all of their backs except for Brock's.

"Tomorrow night is the rehearsal dinner." she replied and Dawn raised an eyebrow at her.

"You make it sound like it's going to be a wedding…" Everyone nodded in assent with Dawn's observation.

"Oh, no, it's nothing like that. It's simply that I want this party to go very smoothly since Ash has had it very rough since he's come back. By running the party tomorrow night it means that not only we can figure out what will work best when Ash gets back but we will also have practice setting up…and everyone gets more food."

"I'm in!" May announced loudly and everyone laughed at May's affinity for food, even Drew (who was, after all, usually silent with the group).

"All right then, it is time for me to remind you of all your roles. Brock will be here with me in the kitchen. May, you'll be setting up the tables with Drew. Max has offered to help Professor Oak with all of Ash's Pokemon. And Dawn and Misty will be working together with all of the other residents. I feel that if we do our jobs right this can most certainly be the best party ever."

"Right!" Everyone agreed emphatically. Mrs. Ketchum smiled as they all returned to consuming their dinner. She was happy to have all of them here, but most of all, she was happy that Ash was alive and would be coming home from Veilstone soon. A small tear of joy trickled down her face. She sniffled a little bit and wiped her eyes, soon standing up and leaving the group to go wash the dishes.

-CT-

Gary Oak sighed loudly as he scrolled through the list of research documents on the computer. After a few minutes of intense scrolling he let out another sigh and rubbed his eyes. They had had another argument this morning. Gary knew his grandfather wanted him to take over the lab; but Gary, like Ash, was someone who didn't want to be confined to one space for too long. He wasn't sure he could manage the lab, especially once Tracey had moved to Cerulean City. It was too much for him to think about. Gary was utterly thankful when the doorbell rang, jerking him from his thoughts. With a grunt, Gary rolled the chair away from the desk and stood up, walking over to the door.

"Hey Gary." Max and May said together as soon as the young Pokemon researcher opened the door. He cracked a lazy smile at the two of them, and Drew, before letting them in.

"Gramps is in the backyard, feeding the Pokemon with Tracey." Gary said, a slight but mostly unnoticeable scowl crossing his face. Suddenly he found himself staring straight into May's eyes. "Okay, that wasn't creepy…" Gary said whilst taking a step back.

"And what are you doing to help out for the party?" May asked inquisitively.

"Nothing. I have to run the lab while gramps helps the rest of you. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to work." Gary turned away from the three of them sharply, leaving May standing there, slightly dumbstruck. She didn't even notice when Max had left her side and headed for the backyard.

"Uhh, May, you gonna come with me?" May turned to Drew and looked at him questioningly. "Okay, fine, go to another planet, that's totally fine."

"Tables! Party! Drew, come on!" And like that, May grabbed Drew's hand and pulled him out towards the cleared garden where a pile of tables were lying in wait for them. Gary watched them go with mild interest before turning back to his work. He had barely been at his task five minutes when the back door opened and his grandfather came in. Gary didn't even look back at him. At the moment, he wasn't in the mood for any kind of small talk with his grandfather. And as it turned out, his grandfather wasn't either.

-CT-

"What exactly does Mrs. Ketchum want us to do?" Dawn asked as she walked down the Pallet Town street with Misty. "I mean, first thing we did was announce for the entire town to gather at Professor Oak's. Not that hard considering how small the town is."

"She probably just wanted us out of the way." Misty said with a ghost of a smile on her face. Dawn quirked an eyebrow at her.

"Then why didn't she say 'I want you out of the way'? Doesn't seem a particularly nice way to go about it." Dawn openly complained and Misty chuckled.

"No, I think it's just that we don't have any particular kind of skill set. I mean, for one thing, I work best with water Pokemon, so working with all of Ash's other types would be difficult for me, but not for Max. And I think Mrs. Ketchum is trying to push Drew and May closer together. And-"

"And Brock makes a mean cook." Dawn said with a sigh and Misty nodded in agreement. "Too bad we don't have any skill set."

"We could always battle one another." Misty said with a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders. Dawn gave a light chuckle at that.

"No thank you, Misty! I really don't want poor Piplup to be pounded flat into the ground. You're just too good." Piplup nodded his head emphatically.

"Oh, please Dawn, you're much more skilled than you think you are." Misty said with a dry laugh. "Trust me on that…although, if we're not going to battle, what are we going to do?" There was silence following the question as both coordinator and gym leader stopped to think about the answer to that question. Piplup looked between the two trainers in slight confusion.

"Umm…well, I guess we could ask all the townsfolk about Ash and have them create a little something for him." Dawn suggested and Misty looked impressed with the idea.

"Great idea, Dawn, see, those coordinator skills are coming through.' Misty said with a smile and the two began walking forward again.

"Hey, Misty, you said that Mrs. Ketchum is trying to push May and Drew closer together?" Dawn asked and Misty nodded with a knowing look in her eye.

"Oh, it's so painfully obvious about the two them. Not to mention, Mrs. Ketchum can be awfully perceptive when it comes to these things so she just wants to give them both a friendly push. I would bet they'll be together by the end of the week if they're not eating each other's faces right now." Dawn giggled at that remark.

"I'll take that bet." Dawn said with an extremely bright smile and Misty just gave her a wink as the two walked on, now pondering their own relationships with a certain black haired trainer.

-CT-

Brock sighed as he dusted his hands off, stepping into the lamp lit area of professor Oak's garden. It had been a long day for him, and he knew he was going to have to do it all over again when Ash came back. But still, he had a slight feeling of contentedness as he saw all of his friends and the Pallet Townsfolk gathered around and enjoying the happy atmosphere. Brock's eyes caught movement some distance away and saw Dawn waving him over, a freshly baked cookie teetering on her fingertips. Brock decided to join her as she put the cookie into her mouth and took a hearty bite.

"Enjoying that there, Dawn?" Brock asked with a snicker.

"Mmm…it's delicious." Dawn said, swallowing quickly so that she could respond. On the table next to her, Piplup could be seen rummaging through the massive amount of food in search of something. "You really outdid yourself this time Brock."

"Thanks. It took a whole day of cooking to make this spread. I wouldn't have been able to do it without Mrs. Ketchum and Mimey's help though." Brock said. "What did you and Misty end up doing together?"

"See all the banners?" Dawn said, gesturing with her left hand while her right hand grabbed another cookie. "Me and Misty talked with all the townsfolk and had them make these banners to celebrate Ash and all."

"They look great." Brock said with a nod. Dawn smiled at him before she began waving again. Brock turned around to see Gary Oak walking towards them, rubbing his eyes fiercely. "Long day?" Gary sneered at it and Dawn gave a slight giggle.

"You look tired. Gary, have you even slept the past few days?" Dawn asked and Gary shot her a nasty look.

"I just spent the whole day in front of a computer doing research for my grandfather, thank you very much!" Gary said. "The lab can't run itself Princess Dee-dee."

"Where did you hear that?" Dawn screeched out and both Brock and Gary snickered at her reaction. It was pretty obvious what the answer was: Ash. "Oh, I am so going to get him when he comes back!"

"Good luck with that." Brock chuckled out before turning to Gary with a concerned look on his face. "You don't sound too happy about doing work for the lab."

"No, I am, just, gramps is getting on my nerves and all lately. You know, I haven't really gone out into the field for three years now. I'm itching to just get out of here. But gramps wants me to stay."

"That must be pretty rough." Dawn said sympathetically. Gary shrugged at it.

"Can't be as bad as what Ash went through, huh? Being kept in Mount Silver for three years with little to no human contact must be pretty frustrating, especially for someone like him."

"I wonder what he's doing now…" Dawn mused out loud.

"Knowing Ash, having an argument with Paul, or in some kind of danger." Brock said with a chuckle. Dawn looked absolutely mortified at the idea and took a step back, knocking into Piplup.

"I hope he isn't! Hasn't he been through enough?" Piplup climbed up Dawn's back and onto her shoulders. "I mean, I don't mind the arguing with Paul, that's inevitable. But him in danger is just too much." Piplup put a hand to Dawn's face in comfort and she smiled at the small penguin pokemon.

"Relax, Dawn, I'm sure that Ash is absolutely fine okay?" Brock said with a comforting smile and a hand on her shoulder. Gary smiled at her too. Dawn finally relaxed and exhaled deeply. There was a loud noise and a bright light came from Brock's belt. When the light receded, Croagunk was standing there, staring out at the sky. All three of them looked inquisitively at the pokemon. "Coragunk, what's wrong?" Croagunk simply remained standing there.

"Hey, is it just me, or is it a little chilly here?" Dawn asked with a weak grin as she rubbed her exposed shoulders. Brock and Gary looked at her before they too realized the same thing: the temperature in the air was dropping.

"Croagunk!" the pokemon cried as it turned towards the sky. All at once a great spark of lightning spread across the sky. Everyone's heads turned towards the great streaking shapr overhead.

"Zapdos?" Gary yelled loudly. But Zapdos wasn't the only one, soon followed by the icy form of Articuno and then Moltres. At once the party was thrown into a panic and Croagunk ran after the retreating form of Zapdos.

"Croagunk, stop!" Brock yelled after him but the Toxic Mouth pokemon has already begun running to the edge of the garden and over the fence. Brock immediately set off after him. Dawn's eyes widened as she watched Brock run away and found herself begin to inexplicably run after him.

"Brock! Wait!" Dawn yelled before stopping slightly and turning to Gary. "Gary!"

"I'm on it! You go after Brock." Gary said and he watched as the bluenette ran after him. Gary tossed a pokeball into the air and from it emerged Electivire. No words were exchanged between the pokemon and its trainer as Gary ran forward through the massive pandemonium of the party under attack. Gary quickly pointed out a familiar face and dashed towards him. "Max!"

"Gary, where is everyone?" Max yelled, his Gardevoir at his side with a stern look.

"No idea. Brock's Croagunk went running off and Dawn and Brock went to go follow him. Where's your sister?" Gary asked frantically. Max shook his head.

"No idea, though she's probably with Drew." Max sneered and Gary's brow furrowed in thought. He quickly thought of something and put a hand on Max's shoulder.

"Max, go find my gramps and Mrs. Ketchum, they should be able to get this under control. Protect the citizens." Max gave him a quick thumbs up and went running off. A loud screech filled the air and Gary noticed that the temperature had dropped once again. When Gary looked around he saw that Articuno was near, and a Blaziken was battling it. Gary set off again towards the site of the battle and quickly caught up to the two trainers that were battling Articuno. May noticed him first.

"Gary, what's going on?" May asked before ordering a Blaze Kick from her Blaziken. Drew ordered a Magical leaf from his Roserade simultaneously.

"No idea." Gary responded with a shrug.

"Do you know why they're attacking?" she asked him and Gary threw her an incredulous look.

"If I knew why then I would know what was happening, wouldn't I?" Gary snapped and May gave him a sheepish look. A loud voice, belonging to Mrs. Ketchum, suddenly rang out.

"Everyone, please exit the lab through the back of the garden calmly and quickly." Mrs. Ketchum announced and Gary turned back to the other two trainers as Articuno broke off its attack and took to the skies.

"Where's Misty?" Gary asked with worry laced into his voice. Both of them gave him wide-eyed looks, indicating they had forgotten about the water pokemon trainer. They mystery didn't last for too long when a loud screech was heard, followed by a roar. In the distance it was clear that a Gyarados was doing battle with Moltres. "All right, you two, protect the citizens. Electivire, you help them out." Electivire nodded as Gary set off after Misty, tossing another pokeball into the air as he ran. "Blastoise, Hydro Pump!" His first pokemon obeyed and sent turrets of water out at Moltres who deftly avoided it.

"Thanks for that, Gary." Misty said as he ran up next to her. He gave her a thumbs up as the two faced Moltres who was now circling back. "Shall we do this together?"

"I think so. Hydro Pump!" Both yelled the same command at the same time just as Moltres sent a Fir Blast hurtling at them. The two attacks collided and smoke filled the air, causing the trainers to cough. Moltres quickly dove through the smoke and landed a drill peck onto Gyarados who went sailing backwards. "Blastoise, Skull Bash, now!" Blastoise, despite its large size, catapulted itself into the air, its head glowing before it struck Moltres in the chest head on. Moltres broke off its attack and recovered in mid air pelting the ground around them with fire. Soon, a ring of fire had spread around them in the garden.

"Gyarados, use a Hydro Pump and get rid of this ring!" Misty ordered but Gary shook his head.

"Not enough time, Misty. Blastoise, do a spinning Hydro Pump." Blastoise obeyed immediately and retreated inside its shell as it began to spray out water. Within seconds the fire was doused and Gary ordered a Rapid Spin to be aimed at Moltres. But Moltres dodged the attack and faced the trainers again. This was not going to be a fun battle.

-CT-

Brock kept up his pursuit of Croagunk into the rushes that lay beyond the lab when Croagunk suddenly stopped. Dawn was close behind him with Piplup hanging on for dear life. All was silent as they stood there. There were no flashes of lightning or anything else and the sky was dark, illuminated only by the stars. All they could hear was each other's breathing. Croagunk turned his head from side to side, attempting to listen in on where Zapdos might be.

"Why do you think they're here Brock?" Dawn whispered to him urgently. Brock shook his head.

"Probably because this is Ash's home but…I don't know…" Brock answered truthfully in the same low voice. The wind whistled through the rushes surrounding them and the two thought they heard a slight noise. They whipped around, expecting to find something there but couldn't find anything.

"Croagunk!" the pokemon cried as the area was suddenly surrounded by a bright and dazzling light as Zapdos ascended, letting off bolts of electricity. Brock immediately gave the order for a Poison Jab and Croagunk sprung into the air towards Zapdos, striking the pokemon on the chest before being hit by one of its lightning bolts. Dawn immediately responded with a command for Piplup to use its own Hydro Pump. Zapdos dodged the attack and took the sky sending a single, large bolt of lightning into the air. The effect that followed made it seem as if the heavens had opened up suddenly as Zapdos disappeared into the night. Brock and Dawn simply stood there for a moment before they both realized the same thing.

"The lab!" The both of them immediately took off towards the lab, their pokemon trailing along behind them. When they finally were near the lab and explosion ripped through the air. Fire spurt out of every window of the lab and the garden was set ablaze. Brock saw Gary and Misty stumbling out of one of the blazes, both their pokemon attempting to put out the fire. To the side of them, Mrs. Ketchum and Professor Oak were staring at the lab with sad eyes while all of Ash's pokemon did the same. As Brock looked around he let out a sigh of relief. The people and pokemon of pallet were safe, even if the lab wasn't. But in the end, he realized, it didn't matter. The truth was plain as day. This was war. And Ash was the target.

**

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Author's Note: I must once again apologize for the long delay but with school, issues at home, massive writer's block and Kingdom hearts: Birth by Sleep to occupy my time I couldn't get this to you any sooner. But I'll work harder now since whenever I have a break at school I WILL work on this story. Well, as you can see it was pretty intense here (even if not one of my better chapters) and next chapter we'll probably return to Ash and the others. I hope my absence does not cause a lack of reviews so please, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW! And don't forget, Dare to Be Silly.**


	11. Champions of the World

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pokemon or any of its subsidiaries.**

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Champions of the World

"Flint, calm down and answer my next question very carefully. What do you mean 'lost'?"" Cynthia stated with a stern tone to the red-haired trainer on the other end of the line. She brushed a blonde strand of hair out of her face and waited in anticipation for the red haired trainer's response. Flint wrung his hands, turning his head back towards his comrades slightly. They had a hurried whispered conversation and Cynthia sighed before Flint turned towards her with a smile.

"Well, you see, Cynthia, we were attacked at Snowpoint Temple and Ash and his friends Paul and Barry got blasted off the side of the mountain and we have no idea where they are." Flint said and Cynthia sighed again, rubbing her temple agitatedly.

"All right, fine, I'll take care of it myself. Why don't the four of you return to headquarters?" Cynthia said and Flint nodded, giving a quick goodbye before he closed the link. Cynthia leaned back in her chair and rubbed her eyes. Lance, who was standing behind her, snickered.

"Problems?" he asked and Cynthia sighed loudly.

"Oh, you have no idea." Cynthia said. "We send Ash out on his first actual mission and now he's stuck wandering in the Snowpoint wilderness."

"You don't seem too happy about it." Steven said with a slight smile on his face and Cynthia rolled her eyes.

"Why would I be? He's dragging others into this problem now." Cynthia said. "I know Paul; he and Ash have had quite the number of feuds in the past. The two of them working on a mission together could only complicate matters." With that statement Cynthia quickly stood up and waved out her hair.

"So, what are you going to do about it?" Lance asked her, his eyes trying to pierce through her and discern her intentions.

"I'm going to go find them myself. Somebody has to clean up the mess." Cynthia said. Lance and Steven shared a look that Cynthia noticed. She chuckled and gave a response to their unasked questions. "No, I'm not blaming the Sinnoh Elite Four. If anything I'm blaming Ash and Paul. We now have three trainers on the loose, one of whom is supposedly very important."

"'Supposedly'? Cynthia, weren't you the first to believe him in any case?" Steven asked her, now truly confused as to her intentions. She gave him a quick and stern look before answering.

"Of course I was. Anyone who supposedly comes back from the dead has something going for him. But it doesn't mean I won't pull him out the second he starts causing the league troubles." Cynthia said. She then pushed both of the men aside and began to leave the office. "And that's why I'm going to go find him myself."

-CT-

Ash's head hurt. Or at least, that was his first thought as he woke up. He didn't know where he was, only that the sun was right overhead. It was noontime. Ash felt something cold and wet under him, but he couldn't figure out exactly what it was. His eyes opened slightly and a blurry white picture came into view. Ash shook his head, trying to shake the blurriness out of it. It was then he realized just what he was lying on.

"Ahh! Cold! Cold! Cold! Cold! Cold! Cold!" Ash screamed as he slung himself up and nearly started running around in circles. He stopped himself just short of that as he looked around the clearing he was situated in. Pikachu was lying two feet away from him, ash's hat resting over his body. A little further off was Paul's Torterra with Paul at its feet. Both were knocked out. And not too far from them were Barry and his Emploeon, yet another duo out cold. Ash thought back to what had recently occurred and remembered how the group had fallen off the cliff. Ash glanced up and saw the towering wall of it staring right in front of him. But he knew that it was going to be impossible to climb up; why had he sent all of his pokemon back with his friends?

"Pika…pika…" Pikachu groaned as he stirred from his unconscious state. Ash walked up to him and removed the hat, placing it upon his head. He then lightly shook Pikachu as an insistence to wake up. Pikachu glance dup at his trainer and smiled. "Pikapi."

"Glad to see you, up buddy." Ash said with a smile before the grin was cut short. There was a growl somewhere in the group of trees surrounding them. Pikachu immediately snapped to attention as Ash summoned his sword to his hands. The growl was heard again. A second later a Mightyena was in front of the duo with an angry snarl on its face. Ash closed his eyes momentarily; these pokemon were looking for them. Ash shifted his eyes around as more Mightyena began to fill into the clearing. Out of the corner of his vision he saw Paul get up. There was soon a flash of light as Electivire appeared beside Pikachu. Ash gave Paul his full attention, noticing that Torterra was put away, and Barry was still out cold.

"Barry! Wake up!" Paul snapped but Barry just turned over, asking for five more minutes.

"He's useless." Ash commented. "You helping?" Paul nodded. "Thunderbolt!" Ash and Paul yelled the command at the same time, sending the streaks of light towards the Mightyena. A number of them were fried on sight but the biggest of the pack managed to hold its ground.

"Electivire, Brick Break!" Paul ordered and Ash nodded at Pikachu to use Iron tail. As soon as the two pokemon went at Mightyena, Ash summoned an aura sphere and sent it hurtling at the opposing pokemon. The three hits were enough to turn it and it companions running into the woods. Ash let out a sigh.

"Hey! Wait! What-" Barry stated confusedly as he sat up. Paul rolled his eyes.

"Some help you are." Paul snapped at him and Barry rubbed the back of his head in confusion.

"What are you talking about?" Barry said and Ash joined Paul in rolling his eyes.

"While you were off snoozing we had to fight off some Mightyena." Ash said before once more emitting a sigh. "Now, where are we?"

"We were by the Snowpoint Temple and the cliff face is there…but I don't know exactly where we landed." Paul said with a scowl on his face. Ash looked to Barry who just shrugged his shoulders.

"Guess we should head for Snowpoint City then." Ash said and Paul shook his head fiercely.

"No. I might not know where we landed, but I do know that Snowpoint is on the other side of that cliff and it would take us ages to walk there. We should just stay here." Paul said with finality and Ash scoffed at him.

"Stay here?" Ash said, near to the point of screaming, despite the fact that Paul hadn't even riled him up yet. "That's stupid. We're in the middle of a snowy forest and you want us to stay here. Finding some kind of pokemon center is our best choice cause I am not standing here and cuddling with the two of you."

"Why does that sound disgusting?" Barry said absentmindedly. "Anyway, I'm all for Ash's suggestion."

"You would be. You hardly stay in one place more than five seconds." Paul said with a scowl before turning to Ash. "And your idea isn't that good to begin with. How do we know they're not looking for us?"

"You said yourself that you have no idea where the heck we are, how are they supposed to know?" Paul crossed his arms and glared at his opposing rival.

"Fine, you have a better idea?" Paul said and Ash put a finger to his chin, thinking intensely about it.

"Lake Acuity. There's a pokemon center there, right? Not to mention, we're probably closer to there than we are to Snowpoint." Paul let out a sigh, defeated. "We want to stay on the move. We can contact the league once we're at the pokemon center. But until then, the legendaries will be looking for us, I mean, me. So, yeah."

"All right then, Lake Acuity it is." Paul stated before he turned around and began leading the trio out. Before long both Ash and Barry were standing next to him, side by side. So Paul pushed ahead a little only to find that they matched pace with him. He growled in anger. This was going to be a long journey.

-CT-

And it was a long journey. As they thought about it through the afternoon, most of them were glad that nobody said anything. Of course, the reason for that was because the three of them were either freezing too much to say anything, trying to find some way through the heavy patches of snow on the ground, or they were too busy trying to one up each other. It was mostly the latter option. As it was nearing sunset, Barry broke the silence for the first time in almost five hours.

"I'm hungry." Barry complained to which Paul rolled his eyes, throwing a scathing look back at the blonde haired trainer.

"Shut up, Barry." Paul said before walked on, following right behind Ash, who was currently leading the group. Barry quickly tried to catch up to Paul, which, due to his natural speed, he was able to.

"No, seriously, can we stop and eat something?" Barry said with pleading eyes.

"What food are we going to eat, Barry? Do you want fried Snover?" Paul deadpanned and Barry took a step back in disgust.

"Eww, Paul, you eat Pokemon?" Barry said with the utmost look of horror on his face. Paul slapped his forehead in shame of being stuck with the two biggest losers on the planet.

"NO! It was an analogy. We don't have any food Barry and unless you want to eat pokemon we won't have any." Paul said, rage building up inside of him.

"Oh…cause, you know, if you do, I can totally-" Barry began but Ash swiftly cut him off.

"Barry, shut up." Ash said and Paul turned away with a disgruntled albeit smug look on his face and all was silent. At least, for a few minutes.

"I'm cold." Barry said, rubbing his exposed arms for warmth.

"Then you should have brought a jacket. Besides, Ash isn't wearing a jacket and you don't see him complaining, do you?" Paul said and Barry just gave him a look of exasperation.

"It's not my fault I don't constantly wear a jacket. Besides, aren't you sweating in that thing half the time?" Barry said and Paul started heaving in anger. Ash finally turned around slightly to look at his two companions.

"Why on earth was I fated to get lost with you two? Honestly, out of everyone I've ever known it had to be you two. I would rather get lost with Misty an infinite number of times than to travel with you two ever again." Ash said in complete exasperation at the fight going on behind him.

"I'm sure you would." Paul said with a smirk and Ash glared at him with utmost fury.

"And what is that supposed to mean, Paul?" Ash stated with venom and Paul just proceeded to laugh, an action rarely performed by him.

"Hey, if you don't know, I'm not gonna tell you." Paul said with a smirk, enjoying every minute of ridiculing Ash.

"What are you talking about?" Ash threw up his hands in exasperation at Paul's difficulty. Paul merely continued his snickering.

"Wow, didn't know I was graced with the presence of an idiot. I spent, what, five minutes with you guys and even I know." By this point, the blood had rushed to Ash's face and he was feeling flustered.

"Shut up, Paul." He stated as a near mumble.

"Why don't you shut up?" Paul said with an offended look, turning away from the trainer.

"Why don't you both shut up?" Barry said annoyingly and the other two trainers turned towards him with their next statements said simultaneously.

"Shut up, Barry." And not another word was said. The sun started to sink on the horizon and the air was becoming colder from the snow around them. Ash closed his eyes slightly as he walked feeling Pikachu's shivering on his shoulder as the pokemon tried to stay warm. Then Barry spoke again.

"But seriously guys, I'm hungry." Ash and Paul stopped dead in their tracks and fully face the blonde trainer coming from behind them.

"Shut up Barry!" they yelled together. Paul just sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Amazing, the first time we actually agree on something and it's because of the annoying one."

"Why did Barry even come with us in the first place?" Ash asked.

"No idea. Something about stopping us from fighting. Like that'll happen. I'll never stop fighting with a loser like you." Paul said with yet another smirk.

"Tch. Says someone who couldn't even beat me in the Sinnoh League." Ash said with a smug grin and Paul's features froze. His smirk dissolved into a very dark look directed at Ash.

"Oh, you want to go there, do you?" Paul said and Ash smirked straight back at him.

"Yeah, I _dare_ to go there. You lost. I won. End of story." Ash said and Paul suddenly got in his face.

"So I guess that all the other times I crushed you don't mean a thing?" Paul said, his upper lip twitching in anger.

"No, they don't. Cause I beat you where it mattered most. Not to bring up any old wounds or anything." Ash said and Paul took a step back from the smug trainer.

"Boy, you just think you're so high and mighty don't you Ketchum. 'Look at me, I'm the Chosen One, destined to save the world.' Bullcrap. You're just a lousy trainer from the middle of nowhere with an overlarge ego and pathetic pokemon."

"You take that back! My pokemon are not pathetic!" Ash raged at the purple haired trainer. "You wouldn't understand a thing. 'I'm Paul, I've been in a coma for three years, pity me.' You really think you know it all."

"Go speak for yourself! You probably wouldn't even know which way to throw a pokeball if mommy didn't teach you."

"Okay guys, cut it out!" Barry said, stepping in between the two feuding trainers who were mentally ripping each other's eyes out.

"You wouldn't know a thing! You try having the weight of saving your world on your shoulders!"

"It'd be better than it being on yours!"

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!" Their argument was suddenly cut short by a loud screeching that filled the air. In a moment, Pikachu had leapt to the ground and Ash had his hand clasped around his sword. The other two held their pokeballs in their hands. A wind blew through the area and suddenly a blue and black portal opened up in front of them, blinding them with light. When the light subsided Ash saw Uxie floating before them. Ash cocked his head, looking at it strangely. Uxie gave a loud cry suddenly and at once multiple copies of it surrounded the boys in a giant ring.

"So, I guess you really were telling the truth about them coming after you. Electivire, standby." Paul said with a grimace as Barry called out Heracross.

"But…" Ash said, not managing to get the full sentence out. Hadn't Arceus told him that the Lake Guardians were on their side? So why was Uxie attacking them? Had it been a lie? Ash closed his eyes and extended his aura outward, trying to perceive Uxie's intentions. He was pushed back by an invisible wall surrounding its mind. When he came back to reality he saw both Paul and Barry using their pokemon to attack Uxie, however, all the attacks phased right through.

"Why can't any of our attacks hit it?" Barry screamed in exasperation.

"It's probably using Double Team." Paul said. Ash grimaced and summoned an aura sphere in his hand. He spun it around his body to create a ring of them.

"Duck you guys!" Ash yelled. Seeing the aura spheres he had, they obeyed as Ash sent them in multiple directions. However, even hitting all of the images in the group didn't change anything; the images of Uxie kept spinning. Pikachu sent out a few Thunderbolts. However, everyone in the group was becoming frustrated with their inability to hit Uxie. That was when the thought hit Ash. He could find the real Uxie by using aura. After all, the duplicates weren't actually living and thus contained no aura. Ash closed his eyes and sent out his aura. He sensed the shapes of Paul, Barry and their pokemon, as well as Pikachu before he focused in on the ring circulating in front of them. At first it was faint, a minor distortion in the aura of the space around them. But then he pinpointed it. The mass of aura that was contained in Uxie. Ash stretched a hand out in front of him and waited. Then he found the opening and sent off another aura sphere.

It hit dead on. All the clones faded away and Uxie flew slightly backward before righting itself. It nodded to Ash before disappearing through the portal it had come from. After that, all was silent. Ash breathed a sigh of relief that they had emerged unscathed before Barry drew his attention away from that fact.

"We're here! It's Lake Acuity!" Barry exclaimed and the other two ran over to him, soon setting their eyes on the lake sprawling before them.

"Awesome! Let's get to that Pokemon Center!" ash said in joy.

"Go if you want, but I wouldn't." Paul said with his arms crossed. Both of them looked at him in confusion. "We're on the wrong side of the lake. It would take us the whole night just to get to the pokemon center and we'd probably freeze before then."

"Really? Great job Paul, now we're stuck out here for the whole night." Ash said and Paul glared at him.

"Since when was this my fault?" Paul yelled at him.

"Since you're from Sinnoh and had actually traveled up here. You should know more about this place than me." Ash said. Paul had no argument for that and simply shut his mouth. Ash sighed and ordered Pikachu to use Thunderbolt on a nearby tree. Pikachu obeyed and a branch snapped off.

"What are you doing?" Paul asked and Ash rolled his eyes at him.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm getting wood for fire. If we're gonna stay out here for the night we at least need a fire. I'm gathering wood and then you can have Magmortar light the fire." Ash stated with a shrug as he began catching the falling branches.

"Hey, what about me? What can I do?" Barry complained.

"Barry, you can shut up.' Paul said. He wasn't in the mood to argue with Ash anymore. He was tired and cold, and like Barry, he was hungry. However, he wouldn't say a thing and merely waited until Ash was done with his work twenty minutes later. Paul quickly called Magmortar to light the fire and the three sat around it, warming themselves as best as they could. It was hard however because every time they thought they'd be getting warm, they suddenly shivered. Lack of food and water was definitely not a good thing. The sky was soon completely enveloped in darkness and starlight and the three found themselves wanting to drift to sleep but knowing that if they did, they might never wake up.

"This is stupid. Why are we still here?" Barry said with chattering teeth. Paul threw a scathing look in his direction.

"Hey, if you want to go out there to try and make it to the Pokemon Center fine, be my guest. You'll be the one to freeze." Paul said, himself rubbing his arms to warm up.

"I can get there fast enough. I'm the quickest guy on the planet and the best." Barry said with a smile, but the cold made it seem more of a grimace.

"Believe what you will. I still say your mouth moves faster than your legs." Paul said as he rolled his eyes. Ash let out a loud and frustrated groan as he sat up to face the two.

"Shut up! I'm trying to rest at least somewhat here and you guys aren't making it any easier." Ash said with a glare and Paul snorted.

"Fine, I'm done with you idiots." Paul said, standing up. Ash was up right after him.

"Hey! What gives you the right to call me an idiot?" Ash demanded. Both of them glared at each other, anger rushing through their bodies once again. At least it warmed them up.

"Uh…because you are one. Haven't we been over this? You're incompetent and pathetic." Paul said simply.

"Oh, like you're any better, Paul. You think you're just the best trainer in the world." Ash snarled.

"Why do I feel like this is just becoming a circular argument?" Barry questioned. Both snapped their heads toward him.

"Shut up, Barry." They yelled before turning back to their argument. Paul spoke first. "I do know better. You know what, I'm done with this. I'm leaving."

"Yeah, well I'm leaving first."

"Why don't you guys just stop fighting for a moment huh?" Barry suggested and Pikachu nodded in agreement.

"SHUT UP, BARRY!" The two yelled at him and Barry had had enough.

"Why do I need to shut up? You two have been arguing the whole time telling me to shut up while you guys go on and on. I think you two are the ones that need to shut up so why don't you-" Once again a shrill cry pierced through the air surrounding them.

"Not again…" Paul groaned. Ash grimaced. He was sick of the arguments and sick of the ambushes.

"That's it. Pikachu, counter shield." Pikachu began spinning on the ground. Paul pulled Barry down as the sparks went overhead and sailed through the trees. An instant later a Milotic appeared, rearing up. "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Pikachu sent a Thunderbolt at the Milotic but it dodged it effectively before Ash ordered a Volt Tackle. The Milotic used a quick Protect and Pikachu flew backward. Without a moment's rest, Milotic sent an ice Beam at the trainers, suddenly trapping their feet.

"Great…just great, you attack a Milotic and now look at where we are." Paul yelled at Ash who merely threw him a dirty look. There was a sudden rustle in the trees and Cynthia came out. "Cynthia?"

"There you are." She said in a tired voice before returning Milotic. She took out a pokegear from her pocket. "Targets acquired, bring in the helicopter."

-CT-

"Do you three realize just how much you endangered the mission at Snowpoint Temple?" Cynthia yelled at them once they were on the helicopter. "Ash, as a Chosen One, I expected better from you." Paul scoffed behind him and Barry snickered. Cynthia glared at them. "Don't think that you two are off the hook either. None of you are members of the Pokemon League but instead, knowing the rocky relationships between you three, you guys decide to go on a mission together."

"Cynthia, I-" Ash started but Cynthia quickly cut him off.

"No, Ash. Look, I was one of the first to believe you when all this stuff started but I am not about to let you get in the way of the League doing its missions. All of you are a liability and I can't look after you." Cynthia stood up from where she was sitting. "That's why I'm putting you out of the way."

"You can't do that!" Ash exclaimed but Cynthia glared at him.

"Do _not_ tell me what I can or cannot do. You are going home where you will stay out of the way. You will only participate in League Missions if I contact you.'

"So, I'm going to Veilstone?" Paul questioned and Cynthia shook her head.

"No, all of you are going to Pallet. You will stay there for a few days. You can leave after that if you want but no league missions. I want you out of the way." With those final biting words, she turned around and walked towards the cockpit. Barry let out a sigh of relief.

"Well, that went better than I thought. I expected it to be a lot worse." Barry said with a chuckle. Paul and Ash merely glared at him.

"Shut up, Barry."

**

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Author's Note: Two weeks…not too bad. I hope you enjoyed this very humorous chapter. I think it gives you quite a bit to think and laugh about. Now, I'm hoping to get you the next chapter on the anniversary of the trilogy and I'm also hoping we can get 100 reviews before then so…REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! And in the meantime, Dare to Be Silly.**


	12. Rivals In A Sense

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the Pokemon or characters represented herein. I merely own the plot in all of its glory.**

* * *

Rivals in a Sense

The three trainers were dropped off in Pallet in the late morning time, much to their displeasure. None of them were happy with their situation and they most certainly weren't happy with one another. Regardless of this fact, the three of them said nothing to one another as they walked through the green fields of Pallet. To Ash it was a little surprising as there seemed to be a lot of people heading towards the professor's lab. However, the lab was not yet in sight so Ash couldn't exactly figure out what was going on. Ash ceased his musings as he heard a familiar voice.

"Ash! There you are!" came the voice and Ash was suddenly engulfed in a hug by Misty. Paul snickered behid him as Ash's cheeks heated up. Without Misty's knowledge Ash aimed a kick at Paul's shin and hit it dead on, causing the trainer to massage his leg. Misty let go of Ash and looked at him with a fierce look. "Just where have you been?"

"Uh, I guess you could say we got sidetracked." Ash said with a glare on both Barry and Paul who returned his look with an equally venomous glare. "Anyway, I'm here now. So, what's going on?"

"Uh…I have to show you something Ash…I don't think you're gonna like it." Misty said, twiddling her thumbs slightly. Ash gave her a confused look but Misty didn't answer, instead he grabbed his hand and started running towards the lab. She stopped when the lab was within sight and Ash gasped.

"What happened here?" Ash said, eyes wide in shock. Even Paul and Barry were surprised as to the nature of the lab. Misty let out a sigh.

"The legendaries attacked." she put in a defeated tone. "It was Zapdos, Moltres, and Articuno. It was sudden. The entire town was having a get together at the lab when they struck. Gary and I fought Moltres but we couldn't stop it…and…well…you kinda see what happened."

"What about the others? What about my mom?" Ash said, his eyes wild with fear. Misty smiled brightly at him.

"It's all right. No lives were lost. Just property." Misty said and Ash let out a frustrated groan.

"It's not all right. Is there any place that can't hit?" Ash screamed out. Misty quirked an eyebrow at him before turning her gaze to his two companions.

"What's wrong with him?" Misty said and Paul shrugged his shoulders with a smirk.

"He's been crabby all day today." Paul stated and Barry pushed him a little.

"Oh, shut it, you two were arguing all night while we were freezing our butts off." Barry said angrily and Paul sent a death glare at him. Misty let out a sigh, knowing she would get no answers out of the arguing and spastic trainers.

"All right you three, let's go!" Misty commanded, but the three still wouldn't listen. A vein pulsed in her head and she started twitching before. "SHUT UP AND MOVE IT!" The three trainers stopped their bickering and hung their heads. Misty turned around with a smug look on her face as she led them towards the lab. Ash saw workers gathered around the area, including most of the Pallet Town population. Ash even saw all of his Pokemon helping in the moving of material.

"Oh Ash, thank heavens you're all right." came his mother's voice and for a second time, Ash felt himself engulfed in a hug.

"Again…mom…can't breathe…" Ash said before his mother let him go and he let out a low breath. "Yeah, I'm all right."

"We were so worried about you. You were gone for so many days we were beginning to wonder what happened." his mother said and Ash gave a dry chuckle.

"Uh, we got called on a League mission, though that kind of sucked…" Ash said, mumbling out the last part. His mother didn't seem to catch it, though the scowls on Paul and Barry's faces indicated that they did. "But I would've been more worried for you guys. I should have been here."

"But you weren't Ash. It's all right, the town's safe." Mrs. Ketchum said with a smile towards her son before letting out a sigh. "I'm just sad that our homecoming party for you didn't work out."

"Aha! I knew you were planning something!" Ash said in triumph and Pikachu just nodded his head on Ash's shoulder. "Well, anyway, I'm gonna see what I can do to help." With those words, Ash dashed past his mother and walked into the heart of the construction where he saw Gary standing with his Electivire. Paul and Barry were still trailing right behind him. In fact, a number of people were, all of them catching a glimpse of Ash.

"Ashy boy! Bout time you got back here!" Gary said with a smirk, though the playfulness in his eyes seemed to have diminished some. Ash smiled at hi friend. Gary noticed the two boys behind him. "And this must be Paul."

"Hey, what about me?" Barry yelled out and Gary waved him off.

"Yeah, that's me." Paul said stoically. "Who are you?"

"Gary Oak, Ashy boy here's first rival." Gary said with a little smirk.

"Really…Ashy boy…huh?" Paul said with a little grin in Ash's direction, who rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, just a stupid nickname I made up for him. Still, hard to believe you're the guy that Ash was always talking about. Heard he beat you in the Sinnoh League for first place." Gary said.

"And why didn't you participate in it?" Paul asked calmly, showing no hint of emotion.

"I'm a researcher now, following in my Gramps footsteps." Paul scoffed at this and Gary narrowed his eyes at the purple haired trainer. "What? Something wrong with that?"

"So, you quit…you're just as soft as the rest of them." Paul said with a hard look and Gary twitched. He was starting to se show this guy could get on Ash's nerves.

"I'll have you know that I never quit Pokemon training. I just discovered that I liked researching better. Who do you think you are?" Paul was about to open his mouth to retort when two high pitched squeals filled the air and Paul, Barry, and Gary felt two blurs of color whip past them to land on Ash.

"Okay, I'm glad you guys are happy to see me, but can we stop with the hugging?" Ash yelled out.

"Pikachuuuuu…" Pikachu cried out in agreement with a strangled force. Seconds later, May and Dawn had separated themselves from Ash who had to catch his breath. Ash looked up and saw a large conglomerate of familiar people approaching, headed by Brock.

"Please tell me that you're not going to smother me…" Ash pleaded of his best friend and Brock laughed loudly.

"Don't worry about it. I think it's a girl thing." Brock said and Ash let out a relieved sigh. Ash finally looked past Brock. Brock followed his gaze and answered the incoming question. "You've had some friends stop by. They wanted to see the Chosen One."

"And some of them can't leave well enough alone." Dawn said with a scowl as she whipped around. "Conway's here…" Ash laughed at that. he always knew that Conway had a problem with stalking people…and Dawn had a problem with Conway stalking her.

"If it isn't the guys? Come back from the dead, huh?" said a red haired trainer, extending her hand to Ash.

"Good to see you too, Zoey." Ash said, shaking her hand. "I'm guessing you guys got here recently." Zoey nodded her head as Ash looked and saw Kenny chatting with Dawn, who had now moved off and May was catching up with all the coordinators, Drew still being in Pallet Town whilst Harley and Solidad had apparently stopped by. Ash also smiled when he saw Max talking with his friend Morrison from the Hoenn League.

"We wanted to pay you a visit, I guess. That was the idea I got in my head. Showed up yesterday evening and noticed they were working on the lab." Zoey said with a smile.

"What? You all showed up together?" Ash said and Zoey shook her head. But Ash didn't care, it was nice to see people from his travels that he remembered. He would probably spend the whole night catching up with all of them. Ash's eyes caught his mother to the side, talking to Professor Oak. Their faces were both lit up, so it certainly seemed that the two of them had an idea. Ash groaned when his mother stood up a few minutes later.

"Attention! Professor Oak and I have just discussed an alternative idea to Ash's homecoming party and we have decided that, starting tomorrow, we will hold the first annual Pallet Town Battle Tournament." Ash's eyes suddenly snapped to Paul's and an intense heat sprung up between the two like lasers. It was on.

-CT-

A crowd was gathered around the central square of Pallet Town where the battle tournament was to be held. The entire morning had been spent on preliminaries, from which only sixteen trainers were chosen. It was irony that the sixteen trainers turned out to be Ash's friends. Mrs. Ketchum looked at her clipboard that held the participants' names whilst Professor Oak was waiting on the battlefield, agreeing to be referee. Meanwhile, Ash and his friends were all sitting at the edge of the stage, waiting to see what the brackets would look like. Ash and Pikachu both had their eyes closed, attempting to calm themselves before their next battle. Ash had asked his mother about her reasons for the battle tournament the night before, and he was none to pleased with the answer.

_"I want you and Paul to settle your differences. I could tell that the three of you had some real tension when you came back this morning." Mrs. Ketchum had said. Ash let out a groan._

_ "Paul and I won't settle our differences, mom. We're rivals. It's not going to change anytime soon."_

_ "It changed for you and Gary!" she snapped and the conversation was left at that._

"Trainers, the brackets are now announced." Mrs. Ketchum's voice rang over the square. All the trainers stood up and looked at the brackets. There were two separate brackets: the east and the west. The east would be refereed by Professor Oak and the west would be refereed by Tracy. Ash was in the west bracket. Ash looked to the board to see how the brackets were set up. In the east bracket, Misty would be facing dawn, May would be facing Zoey, Paul would be facing Gary and Harley would be facing Solidad. Ash scowled. He would only face Paul if the both of them made it all the way to the finals. Ash decided to take a look at his own bracket. Barry would be facing Morrison in battle whilst Kenny would be facing Drew. Brock, meanwhile, would face off against Conway and Ash would be facing Max.

"All right! I finally get to have my battle with Ash!" Max yelled jubilantly and Ash smiled. All of the participants were then ordered to take their places. Ash and Max's battle was first, as was Misty and Dawn's. Ash quickly walked onto the stage with much cheering. He waved to them all and Pikachu joined him. Max also walked onto the stage, though not nearly as many as Ash had received. Tracy walked to the center of the field. Before he started to make his announcement, Ash saw Misty and Dawn ascend their stage to do battle.

"The first round of this battle tournament will be between Ash Ketchum and Max. It will be a one on one match. Let the battle begin!" Tracy said, waving his flag down as he stepped out of the way. Max tossed his pokeball into the air.

"Let's go Gardevoir!" Max called and Gardevoir appeared on the stage. Ash smirked and took a pokeball from his belt.

"Infernape, I choose you!" With a flash of light Infernape appeared, beating its chest wildly. "I'll give you the first move, Max."

"All right, Calm Mind!" Max called out and Gardevoir closed its eyes to channel energy into itself.

"Mach Punch!" Ash called and Infernape moved with such a blazing speed that Gardevoir's Calm Mind was interrupted. "All right, now Dig!" Infernape moved flawlessly, diving into the ground to escape the Psychic attack that Max had ordered as Recovery.

"Try and sense it Gardevoir." Max ordered and Gardevoir swept the area, trying to figure out where Infernape would turn up.

"Now, Infernape, Flame Wheel!" Infernape instantly leapt out of the air in a blazing flame. Max smirked and ordered another Psychic from Gardevoir. The Psychic caught the Flame Whell and held Infernape spinning in place.

"Looks like I stopped that." Max said with a smug expression.

"I wouldn't count on that." Ash said. "Now, Counter Shield!" Without warning, flames whipped out from the Flame Wheel and battered down on Gardevoir, causing it to break its concentration. "Follow up with Mach Punch!" Infernape switched out of its counter shield and landed a heavy blow onto Gardevoir, who staggered backwards.

"Gardevoir, use Magical Leaf!" Max ordered and Gardevoir sent leaves hurling at Infernape. But Ash was quick on the uptake.

"Now Infernape, Flare Blitz!" Infernape surrounded itself with blue flames as it charged towards Gardevoir. Gardevoir had no time to stop it before Infernape rammed into Gardevoir, knocking it out.

"Gardevoir is no longer able to battle, Infernape is the winner. Therefore, Ash is the victor." The crowd cheered as Ash returned Infernape and strode over to Max, congratulating him on a job well done. He saw Misty end the other battle as Extrasensory slammed Piplup down until the poor Pokemon was fainted. As Ash descended the steps he gave Brock a high five before sitting down in the battler's designated chairs.

-CT-

Cynthia read through the documents placed on her desk with tired eyes. Her work had certainly caught up with her over the past week. She picked up a pen and signed one of the documents quickly before placing it to the side. She rubbed her tired eyes and almost considered taking a small nap.

"Bookwork bogging you down?" came one of the more familiar voices these past few days. Cynthia looked up and smiled at Lance.

"No…I'm actually sort of happy to return to it. It's a nice change of pace." Lance nodded with a smile before the smile dropped from his own face. "Where's Steven?"

"Salvaging what's left of his Elite Four." Lance said with a biting scoff. Cynthia sighed. There had been no doubt of the stress and tension that returned to her after she dropped Ash off at home two days previously. That was the day that the legendaries had struck yet again. Not to mention that she finally learned of the attack on Pallet Town. Cynthia had a yelling scream fest at that information. Cynthia spun around and looked at the map of the four regions. There were red dots on the places that the legendaries had struck. And now, two more spots had been added: the Sinnoh and Hoenn cycling roads. Rayquaza had hit the one in Hoenn while Heatran and the legendary birds struck at Sinnoh together. And then, not two days later the League was hit again.

"So, I would imagine they've left no trace?" Cynthia asked and Lance nodded.

"Both Sidney and Phoebe have left the Hoenn Elite Four. Of course, at least Steven still has some of the Elite Four to command." Lance said, striding over to the window in Cynthia's office and staring out over the expanse of the Pokemon League, to the empty space that was Victory Road.

"Why would they all leave at a time like this?" Cynthia asked.

"No idea. By Kanto's crippled, I'm only grateful that Agatha decided to stay on." Lance said. There was silence for a moment before Lance slammed his fist onto a nearby table. "Why can't we stop them? How are they doing this?"

"There's no point in getting angry about it." Cynthia said with a sharp glare in her eye.

"Cynthia, I just lost the entirety of my Elite Four. All of them withdrew from the League. Not to mention Janine went with her father and Lt. Surge dropped out also. Two of the big Gym powerhouses just dropped off and we all know that Blaine is in no condition with Cinnabar gone."

"There's more to this than just a simple withdrawal of forces under your command." Cynthia stated and Lance nodded before slumping down into a chair.

"Celadon City's gym closed. Erika didn't withdraw. She just closed it, citing something about the dangers of the war. So, that's four gyms down. Pewter and Viridian refuse to close and Sabrina seems pretty adamant that she won't close her gym unless you killed her and tied her body to a building. Meanwhile, I can't talk with Cerulean because Misty is at Pallet Town." Lance hung his head and held it in his hands. Cynthia stood up from her chair and walked over to Lance, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"We'll be all right. There are still plenty of gym leaders willing to fight as well as trainers. Besides, so far the Legendaries have only been doing small things."

"You seem pretty confident." Lance said. After a moment Lance looked at Cynthia. "Do you think we can really trust Ash?" Cynthia didn't answer but looked out her window.

"I want to…" Cynthia responded. "But I don't know if I can. How much faith can we put into one person? If we do that, what happens when Ash's strength runs out?"

"This is Ash we're talking about, he never runs out of strength." Lance said with a chuckle.

"Everyone has their limits." Cynthia said quietly. "And I'm afraid…I'm afraid that many of us will be stretched to our limits sooner than we think."

-CT-

"Pika!" Pikachu yelled as he brought his Iron Tail down upon Empoleon. Empoleon dodged at the last moment and the attack merely struck into the wooden stage on which the battle was taking place.

"Empoleon, counter with Metal Claw!" Barry ordered quickly and Empoleon recovered, its fins glowing with a steely glint before rushing at Pikachu. Pikachu didn't need commands in order to dodge the swipes coming from Empoleon. Empoleon seemed to be tiring from the relentless barrage of attacks.

"Pikachu, let's show 'em Volt Tackle!" Ash ordered and Pikachu leapt a distance away from Empoleon before he started charging. Electric shocks surrounded his body as he rammed straight into Empoleon's chest. Empoleon staggered backward but managed to swipe at Pikachu with his Metal Claw and knock the mouse off of him. Pikachu flew backwards but managed to land on all four paws, his body convulsing from the recoil damage.

"Come on Empoleon, finish this with Drill Peck!" Barry ordered loudly and Empoleon began spinning as it raced toward Pikachu.

"Dodge and use Quick Attack!" Ash ordered. Pikachu barely leapt out of the way before making a quick dash at Empoleon and hitting him square on his back.

"Gahh! Come on Empoleon, do something! Hydro Cannon now!" Barry ordered loudly. Empoleon began charging up its attack.

"All right, finish it with Thunderbolt now!" Pikachu used its tail as a spring into the air before letting off a searing bolt of lightning that quickly struck Empoleon, frying him. Empoleon quickly fell to the stage.

"Empoleon is unable to battle, therefore Ash and Pikachu are the winners proceeding to the finals." Tracy announced to the ground. Ash ran over to Pikachu and hugged him as Barry fumed on the other side, mumbling something about fining Ash. Ash smiled as he looked over to the other stage where Paul and Misty's battle was currently taking place. Ursaring dodges an Aqua Tail from Gyarados only to slam down on the Pokemon with a powerful Hammer Arm. It was no surprise a minute later as Ursaring finished Gyarados a minute later with a powerful Focus Blast. Professor Oak announce the result as Misty stepped down from the stage and walked over toward Ash. Ash shot a quick glance at Paul who glared at him.

"I'll tell you Ash, he was tough. I can see why he's such a formidable rival." Misty said with a smile, wiping the sweat that had perspired on her forehead. "Of course, I totally forgot about Ursaring's Guts ability or I would have never used the Fire Fang I taught Gyarados." Misty suddenly realized that Ash wasn't really paying attention. She emitted a small "hmmm" before continuing to walk with him. She knew it would be best not to disturb Ash in his battle tournament mode.

Ash himself was musing on the past two days of the battle tournament. After Ash and Misty had both won their battles against max and Dawn respectively the battles continued. Brock easily took down Conway's Shuckle with his Croagunk who truly had the superior advantage, while Zoey floored May's Blaziken with her Glameow, surprisingly. Conway left quickly after his defeat. In the next battle Drew's Roserade easily defeated Kenny's Floatzel, although Kenny decided to stay around, mostly spending his time with Dawn. Barry and Morrison also faced off against one another in Ash's block, Barry's Heracross defeating Morrison's Metang. On the other side, Paul and Gary had a close match of Gastrodon and Blastoise (Paul had called Reggie to have some Pokemon sent over). In the end, Paul barely won but he still admitted that maybe Gary wasn't as weak as he had thought. Harley and Solidad faced in the last round, Harley getting completely wiped out.

The next day the second round began with Ash facing Brock in battle. Both used flying Pokemon, Noctowl vs. Crobat, but in the end, Noctowl's use of Extrasensory won Ash the battle. Meanwhile, Misty faced Zoey and despite Psyduck accidentally popping out, the yellow duck was able to resist attacks enough to the point that a single Psychic blast put and end to Zoey's Leafeon. After those two battles, Drew and Barry faced off with Barry's Skarmory eventually defeating Drew's Flygon despite the aggravation that came with it. Paul, meanwhile, trounced Solidad. Solidad, harley, and Zoey left soon after that. All of this, led up to the third and final day where Ash defeated Barry and Paul defeated Misty. They were allowed a half hour rest before the final battle was to begin. Ironically, while everyone else was having a good time and gathering food, both Ash and Paul were separate from one another, thinking out their respective battle strategies.

The time passed quickly and before long the two stood on opposite sides of the same battlefield. Most of the crowd couldn't feel the tension but Ash's friends could, in particular Barry who knew that the tension hadn't lessened between any of them since they got back. Neither of the trainers were listening as Professor Oak announced the rules to the battle, both of their hands itching to grab the pokeball off of their belts. When Professor Oak finally said let the battle begin, both Ash and Paul let their Pokemon out. Brock and Dawn nearly flew out of their seats.

"What's wrong?" Misty asked.

"If there was any worse face off than just Paul and Ash, it's Paul and Ash using Honchkrow and Torterra." Brock said and Misty turned to face the battlefield with wide eyes.

"Honchkrow, Night Slash!" Paul ordered and Honchkrow aimed for Torterra immediately.

"Tortera, take it!" Ash commanded and Torterra planted its feet down as Honchkrow's now purple wings struck across Torterra's head. Torterra barely even flinched, although damage had been done.

"Now, hit it with Dark Pulse!" Paul commanded and Honchkrow opened its mouth to let out a stream of darkness. Ash knew that Torterra would have no choice but to take it. And Torterra did take it, although it was pretty clear that it had done quite a bit of damage.

"It's our turn. Torterra, Leaf Storm!" Torterra's branches glowed green before a barrage of leaves was sent hurtling at Honchkrow. Paul lazily ordered for Honchkrow to dodge. "You're not the only one with a Torterra that has control. Move it around." With amazing speed, Torterra's branches twisted around and kept the Leaf Storm trailing after Honchkrow. Honchkrow couldn't stay ahead and eventually got caught into the attack. "Now, use Rock Climb!"

"Honchkrow, move it!" Paul demanded but it was too late as the weight that was Torterra slammed into Honchkrow, knocking it off the large rocks that Torterra had created. Honchkrow managed to recover in midair to send a commanded Dark Pulse Torterra's way. Torterra was hit by the attack and went falling backwards before landing on its feet.

"Torterra, Energy Ball, now. You know what to do." Ash ordered and Torterra opened its mouth, a blue green ball appearing before its mouth.

"Honchkrow, get ready to dodge it!" Paul ordered and Honchkrow flew into a position that would allow it to dodge as easily as possible. Ash smirked and wagged his finger.

"Not exactly. Torterra, now!" Torterra reached forward and suddenly swallowed the Energy Ball attack whole. In an instant its branches became lit with an unearthly green power. Paul took a step back in shock, that had been one thing he was not expecting. He quickly recovered.

"Let's finish this, Honchkrow, Sky Attack now!" Paul ordered and Ash thought quickly about what to do next.

"Hold there, Torterra and get ready to use Leaf Storm." Ash ordered. Honchkrow began its descent, and just as it was about to hit Torterra, Torterra let loose its attack. Both of the attacks connected with their targets and a thick smoke consumed the area causing trainers and spectators alike to cough. Ash quickly turned his eyes back to the battlefield as the smoke began to clear, revealing who had won.

**

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Author's Note: I leave you with that delicious cliffhanger…though not that important. I promise that this is the last Pokemon Battle of this nature that you will see between Ash and Paul. On another note, the title has a dual meaning this time around. Naturally, despite the fact that we see the tournament a lot this chapter, the main focus was in fact that scene between Cynthia and Lance. Also, HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to this fic! It's been one year and two days since I posted the Prologue of THE ROCKET FOUR and since then we've come a long way. I thank all of my reviewers who have had the decency to review every chapter and for those who haven't, I hope you will. Now, next chapter, like this chapter, will be more quiet and will continue to change the face of the war so be ready. In the meantime, PLEASE REVIEW! We are so close to 100. Oh, and Dare to Be Silly.**


	13. A Rebuilt Will

**DISCLAIMER: I no own Pokemon but YAY! OVER 100 REVIEWS! I LOVE ALL OF YOU!**

* * *

A Rebuilt Will

Everyone stared forward in their seats at the sight on the stage. Both Torterra on Honchkrow, the latter on top of the former, in a dazed heap. Both Paul and Ash growled as Professor Oak stepped onto the stage in order to make the announcement.

"Both Torterra and Honchkrow are unable to battle. Therefore, this battle is declared a tie, with both Ash and Paul the victors of the Pallet Town Battle Tournament." Professor Oak said happily, though neither of the two trainers felt it as they stood up there and raised the trophy together. It was the second thing they won together. And this time it felt infinitely worse; this time they hadn't been partners. Mrs. Ketchum soon invited all of Ash's friends to a big dinner to celebrate the conclusion. Everyone enjoyed the meal, though somehow Ash found a bitter taste in his mouth. Both he and Paul had been sending glares at each other across the table. Soon enough it was time for everyone to go to sleep.

"What a day, huh, Ash?" Brock asked and Ash merely smiled at him and nodded as Pikachu yawned loudly. The two split as Ash reached his room. Pikachu hopped off his shoulder and into his own little makeshift bed. Ash smiled at his friend and sat on his own bed. He emitted a loud sigh and ran his hand through his hair. For some reason, Ash wasn't feeling in the slightest bit tired. The snores next to him indicated that Pikachu was already asleep. Ash chuckled dryly under his breath as he looked around the room. There were a new multitude of pictures that hadn't been there before his three-year absence. It made him happy inside to realize that all of his friends thought so much of him. There were pictures of Ash and Misty battling at Cerulean Gym, particularly of Pikachu refusing to battle. He figured those were taken by Misty's sisters. Moving on he saw the picture that all of them took at Pallet the summer before Ash's first league. There was a picture of Ash and Gary getting along. There was even a picture of Ash and Paul at the Sinnoh League.

Ash suddenly heard a noise downstairs and he quickly walked over to his door, opening it a crack. No one was out there. He didn't think any more of it until he heard the door to the outside close quietly. Ash quickly went back into his room and looked out his bedroom window to see Paul's sulking form walking away. Ash sent the retreating figure a confused look before deciding to follow him. He was careful as he crept past his sleeping friends downstairs. Once he got outside he quickly set off after the direction Paul was going. Due to his innate knowledge of the town he managed to get to Paul's apparent destination, the exit, before he did. Paul didn't notice Ash as he walked past.

"Leaving already?" Ash said with a look. Paul quickly cocked his head back at his rival.

"There's nothing for me here. I stayed for the battle tournament. It was fun. But now I'm outta here." Paul said, hitching his backpack up on his shoulders.

"You can't even stay till morning?" Ash said with a near scathing look. Paul merely scoffed.

"I paid my dues. I stayed here a few days, out of trouble. Now I'm going back to my life."

"Where are you going?"

"Why do you care?" Paul said with sneer and Ash merely walked around him to step in front of him.

"You're…kind of…my friend. I'd want to know where you are." Paul scoffed again and began to brush past him. Ash put a firm hand on his shoulder to stop him. "There's a war going on out there. It's not safe…so…you know…if you die or go missing or something, at least we'd have a place to look."

"Hoenn." Paul said simply, hitting Ash's hand off of himself. "I'm taking a boat from Vermillion to Hoenn." Ash nodded. "See ya."

"Take care of yourself." Ash said, but his words had been wasted as Paul had already left the town. Ash shook his head and turned around, heading back towards his house. Pallet Town was quiet at this time of night and he was sure that everybody was fast asleep at this time given the exciting day that had preceded it. Ash himself stifled a yawn as he trudged up the front steps of his house's garden path. The flowers had closed up for the evening but Ash still thought they were kind of pretty, a luxury he had missed, as the time neared so close to summer. Ash silently opened the door, not wanting to disturb anyone who was sleeping on the ground floor. H stepped quietly through the house, trying to make his way to his room when he heard a slight cough from the kitchen. Ash froze and turned around as the light in the kitchen turned on.

"And where have you been young man?" Mrs. Ketchum asked of her son while she stared at him from the kitchen table. Ash walked into the kitchen, rubbing the back of his neck, a sheepish grin plastered on his face.

"Paul left, so I went to see him off." Ash said and Mrs. Ketchum nodded. "What are you doing up, mom?"

"Oh, I've been doing some thinking." Mrs. Ketchum said, grabbing a blue mug from the table and sipping down some tea. Ash just gave her a curious look as he took a chair opposite from her. She gave a slight chuckle before answering him. "Ash, I think you need to leave Pallet."

"What? But I just got back!" Ash protested but Mrs. Ketchum quickly held up a hand to stop him.

"I know that, but you're not safe here." she stated sadly. "We're not a big and bustling town like some other places. We're just a small village on the edge of Kanto. If those legendaries were to attack again, you would be in danger."

"But I can't just leave. They might attack again if I do." Ash said, trying to drive his point across to his mother. However, she just sat there with a determined look on her face.

"No, they won't. You, yourself said that you were attacked at Snowpoint, too soon before the attack. That means, they didn't know you weren't here at the time. Clearly, they wanted to hit you. That is why I think you need to leave. Go somewhere safe."

"I still don't understand. Pallet's about as safe as you can get, even Cynthia thinks so." Ash argued with her and Mrs. Ketchum pursed her lips in defiance.

"Cynthia didn't know about the attack now did she?" Mrs. Ketchum stated with a sharpness to her tone. "No, Ash, you need to go on vacation."

"Vacation!" Ash yelled out before his mother sent a glare his way, prompting him to lower his voice. "Mom, I'm the Chosen One, I can't go on vacation. The world isn't gonna save itself."

"Yes, well, Chosen Ones need their rest, don't they? Besides, Cynthia's not putting you on any missions so you don't have any idea of where to go to save the world. So, just go on vacation. Talk with the others, I'm sure they'll join you." Ash once more opened his mouth to fight with his mother on this point before she cut across him. "I'm not taking no for an answer."

"Fine!" Ash snapped at his mother before softening his tone when his mother glared sharply at him. "Where were you suggesting we go?"

"Shamouti." she said simply. Ash was prepared to fly into another tirade about the location choice when his mother quickly listed her reasons. "I know it's where Zapdos, Articuno and Moltres come from but that's all the more reason its safe. The locals will have their town and island well defended. Plus, I think it would be a very nice place to relax." Ash sighed in defeat. He would never win against his mother. He'd always had that inkling that if she went into Pokemon training she could have become the best of them all.

"All right, I'll sleep on it and I'll ask my friends tomorrow." Ash said with a sigh and Mrs. Ketchum smiled, putting a hand on her son's cheek.

"I'm just looking out for you Ash, I hope you know that." Ash nodded blearily and he left the kitchen, trudging up the stairs to his room where he soon fell asleep.

-CT-

The next morning dawned too bright and early for Ash's tastes and when he arrived downstairs he saw everybody indulging themselves in one of Brock's famous breakfasts. Misty and Dawn looked up as he entered, disheveled and slightly tired. His messy hair was still sticking up all over the place and he had to stifle a yawn as Brock pushed a plate of eggs in front of him. Ash mumbled a thanks and began eating quietly. It wasn't too soon after before Misty noticed there was something different with Ash.

"Hey, sleepyhead, what's wrong with you thins morning?" Misty questioned, jabbing him in the side with her elbow. Ash looked up and smiled at her.

"Uh…nothing." Ash said before he belted out his next question quickly. "So, who wants to go on vacation?" The talking at the table suddenly ceased as they all looked at him. "Geez, and I thought only Paul had that effect on the table."

"Actually, it's usually you and Paul both that have that kind of effect on the table." Brock commented, placing down the cooking utensil that he was holding. "But, uh, do you really think this is the best time to be taking a vacation?"

"It's the only time, Brock!" Ash said with confidence.

"There! He appears again, the irresponsible Ash! I was wondering when we'd be getting him back." Misty said with a smirk on her face.

"Shut up, Misty! Nobody asked you." Misty just stuck her tongue out at him and the two began making all sorts of faces at each other until Brock cleared his throat.

"Okay, when you two finish flirting with each other-" The two glared venomously at Brock, who chuckled a little before continuing, "What brought on this desire for vacation."

"Mom thought it would be a good idea. So, who's in?" Ash asked with a smile.

"Well, if it was your mother's idea then I'm all for it. Where are we going?" Brock asked him.

"Shamouti." Ash replied and Misty giggled slightly.

"I'll go. I haven't spoken to Melody in years. I wonder how her and Richie are doing…" Misty trailed off. May and Dawn soon agreed with Misty's sentiment about visiting Melody and Richie. Max thought he had best come along to, not wanting to get left behind. Drew, naturally, was going to go with May regardless whilst Kenny, who was still there, decided he wanted to go spend more time with Dawn. Barry, not one to be left out of anything, quickly agreed.

"All right then, we leave this afternoon, so get packing!" Ash said. Nobody moved until Ash looked around and saw that everybody was still eating breakfast. "Okay, get packing after breakfast!" And the group continued to eat. Shortly after, when the dishes were dried and put away, everybody split to gather whatever they needed. Brock took Misty, Max and Dawn to tell the Oaks where they were going (Gary would no doubt stay behind to work on things) whilst the others went into town, leaving Ash alone with Pikachu. But Ash knew that he had to do something important. "Hey, Pikachu, you think you can go keep everyone on track, I need to do something."

"Pika!" Pikachu responded and he bounded off towards Professor Oak's lab. Ash smiled before he extended a hand in front of himself and opened a blue aura portal, quickly stepping through it. He emerged inside of a spiraling tower where the sounds of repair by Pokemon were being made. A chunk of debris fell past him and Ash stepped to the side to avoid it hitting his head.

"Ash, you're here!" came a familiar voice and Ash looked over to see the gigantic form of Lugia come floating down to land in front of him. "As you can see, we're in the middle of repairs."

"We're you guys under attack recently? I mean, I know I haven't been here in a while but-" Ash began but Lugia shook his head.

"No, we weren't attacked. We're still just trying to make this place into a proper base of operations. We're almost done." Lugia said. Ash craned his neck to see some wild Pokemon working on the rafters above them. Ash took a quick glance below and saw some other Pokemon running around down there.

"Seems big and comfy." Ash responded with a grin.

"It's well protected. And right now, that's all that matters. Now, what brings you here?" Lugia asked.

"I needed to give my report to Arceus and to tell him something." Ash said and Lugia nodded in understanding.

"I would trust that everything is going okay from your end." Lugia said. Ash shrugged his shoulders.

"More or less. What about you guys? How's the war going here?" Lugia remained silent at Ash's inquiry. Ash gave a concerned look at Lugia who finally responded.

"I think that's a question you should ask Arceus." Lugia said. Ash's face darkened. Was it going that badly?

"Where is he?" Ash asked and Lugia shifted his head to point down a hallway on the same level as them.

"This is the mid level, the most secure. Arceus is in the conference room down that hallway. He's in a meeting with Aaron right now." Lugia replied. Ash gave him a thanks and started off for the hallway. Most of this hallway was devoid of workers, leading Ash to believe this was probably one of the first areas they worked on. There were some branching doors leading off of the hallway and a brighter doorway at the end. Ash figured that was his destination. As he drew closer he began to hear voices.

"We need to move them now. We cannot afford to wait any longer." came the first voice, which Ash recognized to be Aaron's.

"No, we cannot. There are far more things at stake." Arceus responded to him and Aaron gave a frustrated groan.

"What's so important that we can't move the troops now? The humans are near defenseless without our help. You saw what happened to Cinnabar!"

"Cinnabar was a casualty that we could not change, whether we had sent troops or not."

"That's not the point! The point is that this is becoming dangerous. Every day, every second we lose in sending our troops out there puts the world in even more danger than it is now!" Ash heard Aaron slam his fist down on the table in anger. "Just because you don't care about the humans doesn't mean-"

"How _dare_ you say I care nothing for humans!" Arceus bellowed, scaring Ash to the point that he was almost shaking. "I gave a part of myself for them and I would gladly do it again. I would give my life for them."

"Arceus…you don't understand the frustration I feel at this…Those people have lived a happy life and now you can't even tell me what's stopping us from saving them."

"I have my reasons Aaron, and I will not tell you." Arceus said calmly. "Believe me when I say I do not yet have proof, but I believe I know where this is going. I trust in humanity to triumph over the obstacle placed before them. They need to do this on their own. When the time is right, we will join them, but not now."

"So you would risk everything that Ash is out there struggling for? We don't know what's going on with him. We don't know where he is. We-"

"Actually, I'm right here." Ash said, walking into the light of the room with a grin. Both Aaron and Arceus' facial expressions softened as they looked on the Chosen Ones. "What's going on?"

"Ash, you're back." Arceus said kindly. "Might we ask why?"

"I came to give my report and…tell you something." Ash said. "So, what's happening with the war?"

"We've been monitoring the attacks closely." Aaron said deliberately. "Right now they seem nothing more than cutting off traveled roads. Other than that they're just starting to seem random."

"You mean like Pallet Town?" Ash asked with a glance at the both of them. For a moment the two stared at him with confused looks on their faces.

"What do you mean, Ash?" Arceus asked him.

"I mean, Pallet Town was attacked a few days ago. I would assume they were looking for me, even though I was at Snowpoint at the time." Ash stated and immediately Aaron went from calm to angry.

"Don't you see? This is what I'm talking about Arceus. Not even Ash's home is safe." Aaron yelled out and Arceus sighed.

"An empty argument." Arceus responded. "They only attacked Pallet to get to Ash, and I must say that I'm glad it didn't work. That is, however, besides the point. You wanted to know more on the war. It's going…fine."

"Other than the fact that we have not openly opposed the legendaries." Aaron muttered under his breath, even though both of them had caught it quite well.

"Either way, we have strategic points set up for defense. We are constantly keeping watch on the league. Meanwhile, we have our forces running other missions, gathering intel, and other things." Arceus told him, ignoring the comment that Aaron had made.

"What about Lucario? I didn't see him around." Ash asked and Aaron was the one to answer this time.

"Lucario is recruiting wild pokemon. Of course, the other side has their fair share of wild pokemon and so, it only makes sense for us to form a coalition of them. Since Lucario isn't really considered a legendary out in the wider world we figured that it would be best for him to recruit them." Aaron told him and Ash nodded, getting all the information into his brain before it could escape.

"Now, you said you wanted to give _your_ report on the war, Ash?" Arceus inquired of him and for a moment Ash had a dazed look on his face before realizing what was being asked of him.

"Oh, right. So, I got in contact with the League and they've agreed to fight. I went on a mission with some of them and they seem to be pretty well organized for this. It really seems like it's going somewhere…" Ash thought a moment before saying the next piece of information. "Although…I did see on the news that some of the gym leaders and Elite Four members left the league after this started so, I don't know how that impacts our chances." Silence followed his statement.

"Is that all?" Arceus asked and Ash nodded. "Good. It seems you've managed to give them a good little kick in the pants. Hopefully that'll help things along. In any case, Ash, you said that you wanted to tell us something other than your report as well?"

"Yeah. I'm uh…well you see…that is to say…" Ash fumbled with his words as the other two looked expectantly at him. "I'm going on vacation. To Shamouti." He was met with absolutely blank stares. "It wasn't my idea, I swear! It was my mom's!"

"Vacation?" Aaron said with an amused look on his face, his eyes glancing over at Arceus, if only for a moment. Then Aaron just started laughing as Arceus' eyes became kind in his response to Ash.

"I think your mother is a very intelligent woman." Arceus said. "You need a vacation Ash, at least for a little while. We can contact you if anything comes up. And besides, Shamouti is very well protected." Ash breathed a great sigh of relief at Arceus' statement.

"Oh thank goodness, I thought you were gonna blast me into pieces or something." Ash chuckled out and Aaron shook his head at the raven haired trainer. Arceus' eyes were lit up with laughter before it faded.

"Ash, I'd like to speak to you…alone." Arceus emphasized. Aaron decided to ignore whatever Arceus was saying as Arceus led himself and Ash out of the corridor into the hallway. They heard Aaron moving around in the room behind them. Other than that the hallway was completely silent as the pokemon and human moved to stand in its dim recesses. "How's Pikachu?" Arceus asked casually. Ash smiled at the mention of his pokemon buddy.

"He's great! Really great! He's happy to see me, that's for sure. He was, uh, traveling around with my friends Dawn, Brock, and Max." Ash replied with a wide grin.

"That's good to hear he's doing well." Arceus said quietly before the shroud of silence once more fell on them. "Ash, what I am about to tell you _must_ stay only between us, you understand?"

"We can't tell Aaron?" Ash asked with a confused look and Arceus merely gazed at him. "Okay, I got it. What is it?"

"I fear, that the legendaries are not behind this war." Arceus stated simply. Ash almost started laughing at this statement.

"Uh, news flash, the legendaries are the ones attacking everywhere!" Ash said, waving his arms out broadly.

"I know that but it seems too intelligent, too…put together." Arceus said. Ash had no response to this statement and Arceus continued on. "That vision you saw, three years ago, about the war between people and pokemon; it was a complete massacre. They'd destroy one town and move onto the next. There was no strategy from the pokemon. It was out and out destruction. But this time, the legendaries are suddenly smarter. They're not even allowing their old hatreds to blind them in battle. No, they're attacking heavily populated roads, striking at places for recruitment. It's too well thought out. No matter how many pokemon are on that side they can't just simply lead their group to immediate victory where they failed before."

"But Arceus, you lead our group of Pokemon and you're one yourself, aren't you?" Ash said and Arceus gave a soft chuckle.

"Ah, yes, but I have two very capable humans helping me in the direction of this war: yourself and Sir Aaron." Arceus said, his face suddenly becoming quite serious. Ash's brow furrowed as he tried to think about what Arceus meant.

"What are you saying?" Ash asked of him.

"There has to be a human behind this." Arceus replied and shock filled all of Ash's mind and body at the statement. "These pokemon are not alone. A human must be leading them."

"That's crazy! Why would a human attack their own kind? It doesn't make sense!" Ash yelled out loudly, although his voice almost didn't travel anywhere.

"I don't know Ash. I have my speculation but it's nothing more than that."

"And I suppose you won't even tell me what it is?" Ash said with an angry look now on his face.

"I can't. Not until I have some semblance of proof. I only told you my suspicions here because it seems more likely than not. The coincidences are just too great, and I can only fear for the human race." Arceus said seriously and Ash took a few breaths to stabilize himself. "Go to Shamouti Ash, enjoy your time off. But be on guard. These times are growing darker, much darker."

"And how dark do you think they'll get before they get better?" Ash said and Arceus sighed.

"Difficult to say. But if a human is behind these attacks, then they know to come after you. So be careful in everything that you do." Arceus said with a concerned glare at Ash. "If you need to contact me, you know where to find me. I'll contact you if I need you." Ash nodded solemnly as he turned around, holding his palm out in front of him. "Oh, and Ash, I would recommend making the portal connect to your room, don't want any questions raised quite yet."

"Yeah." Ash said quietly.

"Take care, Ash." Arceus told him and Ash smiled at him briefly.

"You too." With that, Ash opened up an aura portal and disappeared into it. Moments later, Aaron emerged into the hallway, finding Arceus standing there alone.

"You think he'll be all right?" Aaron asked. "I'm guessing you didn't call him out to tell him the truth, did you?"

"I told him all the truth he needs to know." Arceus stated to his second in command. "Come Aaron, we must discern the next point of attack."

-CT-

As the jet owned by Brock sailed over the ocean past Pallet Town in the early afternoon, Ash couldn't help but do anything other than stare out the window, mulling over what Arceus had told him earlier that day. It concerned him, even though his friends didn't seem to notice. All of them believed his lie that he was just gathering things for his backpack in his room and left the matter at that. Pikachu seemed to believe something was wrong with him, but nothing went past that. All of Ash's friends were chatting gaily and Barry was spazzing out over losing to Kenny, Drew, and Brock in a card game.

Was it true? Could a human be behind all the attacks? Ash didn't want to believe it. No human could be so evil or dark as to actually harm other humans. Certainly, he had seen groups like Team Rocket, team Galactic and the Rocket Four hurt pokemon. But it never went so far as harming humans. It wasn't true. It couldn't be. Arceus was wrong. Ash was then jerked out of his reveries as the plane began to touch down on Shamouti. Ash pushed the thoughts out of his head and smiled, standing up to join his friends. In but a moment they were all outside, basking in the sun.

"Shamouti, at last." Brock said with a smile at the sun shining. "Well, hope you're all ready to have a good time."

"I hope you guys are too." Came two voices at once, a male and a female. "That's what you're here for isn't it?"

"Melody!" Misty yelled as she ran to embrace her friend.

"Richie, what's up?" Ash yelled, running to high five his friend.

"What a thing, Ash, back from the dead?" Richie said with a smile as he separated and joined his hand with Melody. Ash raised his eyebrows at it as the girls behind him sniggered.

"Richie, we should actually be glad he's alive." Melody said with a sweet smile towards him. "All right Ash, propose to Misty yet?" Ash began to splutter as the couple laughed at his and Misty's misfortune.

"Hey, come on guys. Why are you here?" Richie asked.

"Vacation." Brock responded and Richie smiled a dazzling smile.

"Awesome. Perfect timing too. It's the Chosen One Festival." Ash's eyes snapped up and his gaze slightly darkened. "Come on, we gotta show you the island. It's ten time better than the last time you were here."

"Not that hard…considering it was destroyed." Misty muttered as she passed Ash. Ash chuckled at that and thought no more, following his friends up the stairs towards the biggest house on the island.

**

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Author's Note: I really don't think there's anything to say here other than, speculate my friends, speculate. I gave you a lot to chew on this chapter and I hope you'll review well on it. Ah yes, before you review, favorite, or x out this page, visit my profile and read my tips on reviewing. It would greatly help me and I would be very appreciative. In the meantime, REVIEW and Dare to Be Silly.**


	14. Starlit Shamouti Nights

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pokemon.**

**WARNING: This chapter contains alcohol and drinking. NOT underage drinking. Either way, if this offends you feel free to skip _that_ particular part. But just remember, it _is_ rated T so you had fair warning then.  
**

* * *

Starlit Shamouti Nights

"After you guys left three years ago we were still building Shamouti." Richie told them as they ascended the stairs. Brock and Dawn were right behind Richie and Melody, listening to everything they had to say. Following behind them were May, Drew and Max, the air between them chilly and impenetrable. Kenny and Barry took up residence behind them, chatting animatedly. Behind them, finally, were Ash and Misty who were stuck in their usual bickering state, even if both of their faces were red from something else. "Thankfully all the Pokemon from around the area joined with us and pretty much rebuilt this place from the ground up. I think it's even better than when we first came here."

"Richie was absolutely wonderful with helping us out!" Melody said kindly and Richie smiled warmly at her. Brock chuckled a little under his breath.

"I would imagine you two are an item now?" Brock said and the two nodded their heads. To this, Brock let out an exasperated cry. "Why me? I am to always be cursed with a loveless life?" Dawn put a comforting hand on Brock's back to soothe him. The contact was soon broken when Ash and Misty suddenly broke through them to the front, still in the midst of their argument.

"Whatever, even if you had beaten Paul, I would've beaten you anyway!" Ash said, waving his hand in front of his face, as if dismissing a pesky subject matter.

"Oh really, with what, Pikachu? Last I checked, he doesn't want to battle me now does he?" Misty said with a coy little smile on her face. Ash laughed scornfully at her.

"As if! I've got plenty of Pokemon that could beat your Gyarados to the ground." Ash said as he shoved his face near Misty's. Both of their faces heated up from the close proximity but Misty managed to keep her cool.

"I'd like to see you try!" Misty snapped at him and the two started settling into an incoherent mess of argument. Richie sighed as he faced Brock.

"Are they always like this? They fight like a married couple." Richie said in exasperation.

"Don't worry." Brock answered him. "They'll come around in 3…2…1…"

"CHUUUUUUUUU!" came a cry as electrical shocks convulsed around Ash and Misty's bodies, leaving them smoking, sweaty faced, but on the whole determined that their argument was going to have to end. With that out of the way, the group proceeded to start moving again.

"So, Richie, you're living here now, right?" Ash said with a grin on his face to which Richie responded with a grunt. "What about training? What about your parents?"

"Ash, I really don't know if I'm gonna be a trainer again. I still practice with my Pokemon all the time but I'm really considering life here on Shamouti." Richie said and Ash smiled at him, though only Brock and Misty managed to catch the slight sadness behind his eyes. "As for my mom and dad, I gave them a call and they came out to meet my girlfriend. They vacation here once a month."

"Sounds great." Ash said, though somehow he doubted the sincerity of his own words. At last, Richie and Melody stopped the group. All at once they gazed upon a wide and sprawling fairground decorated with a large number of ornaments

"Here we are. Tonight's just a little celebration, but tomorrow night's the real event." Melody said with a beaming happiness that reached her eyes.

"Tomorrow night's…event?" Ash questioned and everyone let off a sigh, or at least, those that were actually paying attention.

"The Chosen One Festival of course! We told you when you got here!" Melody said loudly and Ash nodded his head in understanding.

"In other words, a festival celebrating yourself." Richie said, clapping a hand on Ash's back while he pointed to the banner ahead of them, displaying Ash's face and name. Ash took a deep breath and let it out.

"Thanks." Ash said sullenly as he pushed Richie's hand off of him. Ash took Pikachu and handed him off to Misty. "Hey Misty, you think you can watch Pikachu for a bit?"

"Uh…sure?" Misty said, accepting the yellow Pokemon as Ash turned and walked away. Richie took a step towards him but Brock somehow blocked his way.

"He just needs some time." Brock said with a smile. "In the meantime, who's to say we can't enjoy ourselves!" Everyone cheered at that statement as the group split off. Brock decided to check out the nearby restaurant, being quite hungry. Misty, Pikachu, Max and Dawn decided to check out the fairgrounds together. Before Kenny could join up with their group, Barry dragged him off to play some carnival games. Melody and Richie agreed to show May and Drew to the rooms at the mansion that the group would be staying at ("After all, friends are friends who deserve good rooms!"). Nobody paid attention to where Ash had gone.

Brock had been a little surprised that Ash had just walked off like that. But Brock had noticed a slight change in the young trainer's personality since he had returned. Ash had become much more pensive now, whereas before he was always the act first, think later kind of trainer. That was just who Ash was. It slightly concerned Brock, made him wonder if this war and its burden was actually getting to Ash. Brock shook his head at the deep thinking he was doing as he entered into the restaurant. He thought he saw someone familiar as he entered but thought nothing of it. Brock scanned the room and noticed that all of the tables and booths were filled due to the time being early evening. The lights outside flickered on as Brock strolled through the room to the bar, where he figured would be the best place for him to order food.

Even the bar seemed to be slightly full so Brock sat himself next to a beautiful woman (from the back and Brock's perspective of course) with long black hair, wearing a form fitting purple outfit. The bartender came up to Brock to take his order.

"So, what'll be your poison, chief?" the bartender asked.

"Uh, I'm not in the mood for alcohol right now. I'll take a house special though, if you will." Brock said.

"Sure thing, chief." the bartender said before turning to the woman next to Brock whose face was currently concealed to him by her hair. "Anything else for you, babe?"

"Just a refill. I'm in the mood for some drink tonight." the woman said and Brock's ears perked up. He knew that voice. But where had he heard it before? Brock eyed the woman's figure before her identity finally clicked in his head.

"Lucy?" Brock asked and the woman turned towards him, in recognition of her name being said.

"Who wants to know?" she said snappily before looking at him. Brock's eyes narrowed (more than they already were) in disappointment. Lucy finally took a look at him and gasped slightly. "Brock Slate…"

"Long time, no see, huh? Still head of the Battle Pike?" Brock asked with a smile as the bartender passed a bowl of soup to him. Brock immediately started eating. Lucy scoffed at the mention of the Battle Pike.

"Oh yeah." She said, rolling her eyes. "See, Brandon teamed up with Palmer of the Sinnoh Battle Frontier, and the two of them got this bright idea that we should be guardians."

"Uh…guardians?" Brock questioned.

"Yeah, you know, like the town can't defend itself so we station ourselves in places to protect the citizens." Lucy said, taking a sip of her now refilled drink. "So, I'm stationed here at Shamouti with Nolan. Meanwhile Brandon and Palmer are trying to get a meeting with the Pokemon League. Offer our services as an extension of theirs."

"And, you're not too happy about this?" Brock said, slight amusement rolling up in his eyes.

"Don't get me wrong. I'm all for protecting the citizens, hooray!" Lucy said, laughing a bite. Brock laughed with her though it was cut a bit short as the both of them blushed. Lucy cleared her throat as she continued on. "But, all this tension and work is just too much. I mean, I know why I'm stationed on Shamouti and all but I just want to go back to manning the Battle Pike, you know?"

"Yeah, I could see how you're frustrated." Brock said, eating more of his soup. The two lapsed into silence for a moment as Lucy continued to sip at her drink. Neither knew how long they were quiet for, only long enough for the outside to become quite dark. Lucy finally broke the quiet.

"So, uh, what brings you here?" Lucy asked a little sheepishly. Brock finished swallowing before he answered her.

"Uh, vacation, actually. Ash's mom ordered him to come on vacation and we're along for the ride."

"The Chosen One…who would have thought a kid I faced, what was it, five years ago now, is supposed to be the one to save the world." Lucy said with a scoff. "What's the world coming to?"

"Ash seems to handle it all pretty well though, despite the numerous attempts made on his life." Brock said with a smile and Lucy gave a loud laugh.

"I'd welcome it. At least then, guarding this place wouldn't be so damn boring." Lucy said, draining the rest of her drink. "Oh well, the one perk about guarding Shamouti is it feels like a vacation."

"I would guess so, yeah." Brock said with a chuckle and Lucy giggled a little.

"You got time Brock? We should catch up." Lucy said with a wink in his direction. Brock felt himself heat up as Lucy called the bartender over. Maybe this vacation wouldn't be so bad after all.

-CT-

Ash diligently climbed up the rocky cliff-side as the sun splashed over it with a golden hue. He knew it probably wasn't right to just leave his friends like that, but he just couldn't stand being there anymore. Those people were celebrating him. _Him_! Of all the people in the world. True, he had stopped Zapdos, Moltres, and Articuno before but now they were in a much more dangerous situation and they were practically praising him. He didn't know how to handle it, so he left. For a small time he just wandered the island a bit before deciding that maybe it would be best for him to go and check out the shrine on Shamouti and see if maybe he could get some help for the prophecy there. And that was what led to him climbing up the cliffs. True, he could have just followed the path and walked up there, but somehow, he got a better sense of accomplishment as he did this. Soon enough, Ash pulled himself over the edge and stood in the swaying field of flowers. With a smile on his face, Ash turned around and looked at the sun beginning to set over the horizon. The breeze blew past him and Ash drank in the smell of flowers.

They smelled good. He had never realized just how much he loved the simple things in life until nothing was simple anymore. Ash chuckled quietly to himself. What he would give for being a simple trainer again…Ash's smile fell. He _really_ wished his mother hadn't named him Ash. With precision, Ash whipped around and walked toward the shrine, the water still flowing freely, representing what Ash once believed to be a symbol of peace. The area seemed empty as Ash strode up to the shrine. He bent down a little and saw the three orbs still resting there and shining, bright as day. When the gleaming spheres gave him no answer he looked to the plaque above them. The prophecy. The one that called out his destiny. That made Ash scoff a little. Prophecy didn't mean fate. That was something he could still decide upon by himself. But Ash knew, deep down, even if he hadn't known he was the Chosen One, he would still be here, now, trying to save the world and end the war.

"Find something interesting?" came a slight drawl from behind Ash and the young trainer jumped, turning around to find Slowking looking at him curiously.

"Slowking! Don't scare me like that!" Ash said clutching at where he thought his heart was. Slowking merely chuckled a little and Ash smiled down on him.

"So, what are you doing here Ash? Or should I call you the Chosen One again?" Slowking asked him and Ash chuckled a little himself.

"My friends and I are here on vacation and…I thought it'd be a good idea to check out the prophecy, see if I could figure something out." Ash said with a wave of his hands. "Which, by the way, why didn't you tell me there was more to the prophecy?"

"I didn't know." Slowking said with a slight shrug. "I'm only entrusted to guard the shrine here. Only the piece of the prophecy contained here is known to me. The fact that there was more surprised me when I first heard from Arceus."

"You're in contact with Arceus?" Ash said, taken aback at this new information.

"Of course. Didn't he tell you Shamouti was well protected? I may not look like much, but I'm a Pokemon with connections." Slowking said with a slight nod of his head. Ash laughed at that before a comfortable silence fell on the two. The final vestiges of the gold sun sprayed the side of the shrine, shining on the pair. "You seem upset, Ash."

"Nope! I'm not upset…a little worried, yeah…but…" For a moment, Ash entertained the thought of asking Slowking what he thought about Arceus' speculation. But knowing just how much he'd be betraying the Alpha Pokemon, he shut his mouth.

"Well, let go of your worries." Slowking said simply. "Hey, six years ago you really showed some amazing stuff out there. I'm sure you can do it again. Go out, have fun, go to the festival. Though if you can, bring me some of the food there. It gets lonely and hungry up here every once in a while."

"Yeah…the festival…" Ash said pensively and Slowking only scrutinized him once again. "How can they celebrate something like that? We're in the middle of a war and they're celebrating me, when I don't even know if I can do this right. I mean, what if I can't? What if I fail everyone?" Ash had added that last part in a whisper, displaying the secret fear he had only to Slowking.

"Perhaps it's a way to celebrate the good things that are there rather than to focus on the tragedy surrounding us. They celebrate the hope all of us have that the world can be set right. They have faith in you, Ash. Now you just need faith in yourself." Slowking said with a smile and Ash smiled back as darkness finally consumed the island.

"Thanks Slowking. I think I needed that kick in the pants." Ash said with a laugh and Slowking nodded at him. Ash turned around and began to walk away from Slowking, dispensing a "See you soon" as he went. Slowking sighed as he watched the trainer go.

"Arceus…why can't you just tell him already…?"

-CT-

"Maybe Brock knows where he went?" Dawn offered to her bespectacled companion. Max shrugged nonchalantly.

"It's worth a shot." Max responded. "Misty's checking the other side of the island so, if he's here, Brock might've seen him." Dawn smiled in pride at her suggestion. "If he's not already hitting on some poor helpless girl in the first place…" Both sighed at that. Even Piplup sighed. Shaking their heads, the two of them walked towards the restaurant that they saw Brock enter earlier. The establishment was quite lively at this time of the evening and as soon as they entered they realized just how packed it was.

"Okay…it might be a little harder to find Brock than we thought." Dawn said, resigned that her idea wasn't as great as she thought.

"Just find the prettiest girl in the building and we've found Brock." Max said through gritted teeth.

"You're looking for Brock?" came a voice to the side of them. Both turned to see a red-capped man standing there, watching a point in the restaurant with interest. "He's talking with Lucy. I'm waiting for one of them to pass out."

"Pass out?" Dawn asked innocently and the man laughed.

"You're Nolan, of the Battle Frontier, right?" Max asked and the man nodded. "So, where is Brock exactly?" Nolan simple pointed. Dawn uttered a thanks and the two pushed through the crowd towards the bar where both Brock and Lucy were sitting, their faces red, laughter issuing from their mouths, and looking as if they were having the times of their lives. Max simply shook his head in shame. "We leave him alone and he gets himself and a pretty girl drunk, great…"

"Well, we should ask him if he knows where Ash is." Dawn suggested before Nolan's voice answered them from behind.

"I really don't think it'd be best to ask him now. He wouldn't have a clue what you're talking about." Nolan said with a chuckle as all three focused on the scene unfolding in front of them.

"So then Ash runs up to Pikachu, all dressed in red from the paint and Pikachu jumped at him, cause, you know, he thought Ash was a Ketchup bottle. It took us a whole week to get the taste of paint out of Pikachu's mouth." Brock said and Lucy laughed raucously at the story.

"That…is…hilarious!" Lucy giggled out loudly, attracting more than three stares to her behavior. "You are the funniest guy I've ever met Brock. You know, you should totally be my date to the Chosen One Festival tomorrow night!"

"I agree! Wholeheartedly!" Brock proclaimed and Max and Dawn were forced to look on in shock as Lucy sloppily wrote down her hotel room number and passed it to Brock.

"Pick me up at seven, yeah?" Brock merely nodded before Lucy slumped forward and her head hit the counter. Brock laughed a little before he slipped off his own stool and fell to the floor, passed out. Max sighed as Piplup hopped off of Dawn's shoulder and started pecking at Brock's face. When that didn't work Piplup let off a large stream of water. Brock didn't stir.

"I'd take him back to his room." Nolan said, draping Lucy around his shoulders. "Whooo…they're gonna have a heck of a hangover in the morning." Nolan merely chuckled as he left the restaurant, dropping some cash on the table.

"Well, we better follow the man's advice." max said, adjusting his glasses. Max took a pokeball from his belt and sent out Sceptile. "Hey Sceptile, think you can carry Brock for us?" Sceptile nodded as it quickly picked Brock up and placed him on its shoulders.

"Guess we'll have to leave the search for Ash up to Misty…" Dawn sighed out and Max nodded as the two left. It was going to be a long night…

-CT-

Ash stirred slightly as the breeze blew across his face. Something felt strange to him. Why did his back hurt so much? And why was he so cold? Ash let off a yawn as he sat up and opened his eyes. He shuffled back in surprise at the sight of the ocean before him. He didn't move very far before he knocked into a pair of legs. He looked up and saw a furious redhead staring down at him, a look of pure murder on her face. Pikachu was on her shoulder, looking at his trainer with worry.

"Uh…hi, Misty! What're you doing here?" Ash asked with a nervous chuckle.

"I'd like to ask you the same thing!" Misty screeched and Ash cringed. He quickly stood up to better face her. "I was looking for you all last night. Only when I felt tired enough to drop did I go to bed. Then I wake up to resume my search and I find you out here…sleeping."

"Oh…must've fallen asleep." Ash said sheepishly. "So, you were really looking for me all night?"

"Yeah. I was worried sick about you." Misty said, her tone biting and angry, even though her eyes conveyed the opposite.

"Oh, well that's nice. I'm glad your motherly instincts are kicking in." Ash said scornfully, trying desperately to hide the blush on his face with anger.

"Motherly instincts! You really are clueless, Ash Ketchum! I don't know why I even bother!" Misty screamed, turning on her heel and walking briskly away. Pikachu just managed to hop off her shoulder in time. Ash just watched her go as Richie approached, Misty slamming into the young man without even as much as an apology.

"Great job Ash, you ticked her off this early in the morning. Continue on like this and you might be dead by the end of the day." Richie said with a smile on his face. Ash scratched the back of his head.

"She's just…she's so confusing!" Ash yelled out loudly.

"Women usually are…" Richie said, adding a chuckle onto the end.

"Yeah, well, Misty's not a woman. She's a…a…" Ash froze as the unbidden thought entered his mind. _She's a lady…actually…and she's pretty…Oh crap._ "I like her…" He whispered on the end, a comment which Richie didn't catch. Ash looked straight at Richie with a serious look on his face. "Richie, how are things with Melody?"

"They're great. More than great. Yeah, I was thinking maybe I'd propose to her in a few years." Ash had a smile flit across his face. "You're not very skilled with dating are you?"

"I've been hiding out for three years. Dating options were pretty thin." Ash said, an uncomfortable pressure building within his stomach.

"Hey, don't worry about it, man. You'll find her, I'm sure." Ash nodded, his mind practically separated from his body.

"Right…yeah…thanks." Ash mumbled out. The next second he was dashing away from Richie towards the mansion. "Gotta go, Richie."

"Hey, wait, are you coming to the festival tonight?" Richie questioned.

"Hope so!" Ash threw over his shoulder as he plodded along quickly, Pikachu trying hard to keep up with him. Within moments he reached the mansion and entered, searching for the direction Misty went.

"Down her room hallway. That way." Melody said upon seeing his frantic face. Ash gave a thumbs up and dashed in that direction, soon catching sight of the red head.

"Misty!" Ash yelled and Misty stopped, turning around to face him with a blazing look.

"What?" she snapped at him.

"I'm sorry for being mean earlier. I hope you know I didn't mean it." Ash said with a smile and Misty gave a minute sigh. "Listen, so I was wondering if you wanted to go with me to the Chosen One festival tonight."

"Go…with you?" Misty asked and Ash nodded his head emphatically. Misty smiled. "Sure."

"Awesome!" Ash proclaimed.

"So then…is this like a-"

"MAX! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?" came a loud voice in the direction of Brock's room. All at once, every door in the hallway blew open.

"What's going on?" Barry asked snappily. Ash and Misty shrugged and Barry closed his door with a snap. Loud noises were heard from within to which both trainers raised an eyebrow.

"I think we should go see what's wrong with Brock." Misty said and Ash nodded, the two of them starting down the hallway to Brock's open room.

"Why do you think I didn't tell you? You fawn over every woman you come in contact with!" Max protested.

"But, she actually asked me on a date." Brock said desperately.

"When you were drunk…" Max snickered. Dawn slapped the young boy upside the head.

"Look, we didn't bother to tell you because you were dealing with a massive hangover." Dawn said sheepishly. This appeared to be the wrong thing to say as Brock started throwing things around frantically saying he needed to get ready for the dat. Ash didn't even notice when Misty left his side to proceed into the room.

"Everyone but Brock, out!" Misty screeched and Ash backed out in fear for his life. Dawn and Max followed suit as the door slammed shut.

"WHAT? NO, MISTY! THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE-AAAAAGGGHHH! NOOOOOOO!" All three just stood there, staring at the door, unable to move at the tortuous sounds coming from within. In fact, they continued to stand there for the next few hours as Misty did…well, they weren't quite sure what she was doing. As lunch passed by, Max and dawn left, saying they were going to the festival. Ash only nodded and took a seat to the side of the door. Melody and Richie passed by a few times, playing some card games to keep him from his boredom. Around six, the door finally snapped open and Misty stepped out with a smug smile on her face. Brock walked out with a slightly scared look on his face, though Ash had to admit he looked better than he had earlier.

"Is that-?" Ash started to question but Misty silenced him with a glare.

"Let's accompany Brock to pick up his…his…" Misty said but couldn't quite get out due to her laughter. Even Ash started cracking up. Neither of them could believe Brock had actually managed to secure a date. Regardless, they resolved to help their friend and gave him the push towards the hotel. The walk took a while due to Brock being slightly resistant at frightened but eventually the three reached the hotel and were on their way to Lucy's room. Ash and Misty stood to the side as Brock knocked. The door opened.

"Hi…" Brock said with a slight smile.

"Brock…Oh! No…no no no no no no no!" Lucy said, stammering out. Brock's face fell. He knew that a date was far too good to be true. "I'm sorry, I totally forgot. Crap! Just give me a moment." The door slammed shut, leaving a more surprised Brock than moments before. Ash, Misty and Pikachu took this moment to slink out of view.

"I think he'll be fine without us." Ash said and Misty smirked.

"After what I did to him, he better be." Misty said.

"What exactly _did_ you do to him?" Ash asked and Misty didn't respond. "Come on Misty, tell me!"

"Ash, stop being stubborn and let's enjoy ourselves." Misty said, her infamous temper starting to build.

"We're not going anywhere until you tell me!"

"Well, I won't tell you!" Misty said, getting in Ash's face. The sound of crackling electricity was heard near them and they both looked down to see Pikachu charging up. They gulped.

"Uhh…" Ash stammered. "Look Pikachu, ketchup!" Pikachu whipped around and bounded off in the direction Ash had pointed while Ash and Misty made a clean get away. The night they spent at the festival passed in a haze. They spent plenty of time playing carnival games, eating lots of food (though admittedly that was more on Ash's part) and riding the various rides. More than once they ran into Richie and Melody who were also enjoying the night, and more than twice did they link arms together. Misty thought she saw Dawn run off when this happened once, but when she didn't see the blue haired girl she thought nothing more on it. Soon the time approached for the fireworks to begin.

"Misty, let's go on the Ferris Wheel! We can see the fireworks better from up there!" Ash said, taking her hand and dragging her towards the Ferris Wheel. Misty rolled her eyes.

"You're such a little kid." Misty laughed out as the two got into their seat on the Ferris Wheel. Moments later the two were at the top of the Ferris Wheel, staring out over the crowd. "Looks like Brock's having a good time." Ash looked down and saw Brock chatting animatedly with Lucy, a far distance from the nearest bar. Max was now conversing with Barry and Kenny whilst Dawn wasn't anywhere to be seen. May and Drew also seemed to be milling around the festival together, although they were fighting more often than not.

"Yeah, I guess so." Ash said, chuckling nervously. He looked over at Misty. It was funny, to him at least; she was such a tomboy and yet, even as she dressed like that he still thought she looked pretty.

"Lucy's a really pretty person." Misty sighed out.

"She can't beat you." Ash said. He realized exactly what he said a moment later when Misty gasped. And yet, he found no need to try and take his words back.

"So…wait, you think I'm pretty?" Misty said.

"Yep. Always have." Ash said with a giant grin. Misty smiled at this as she settled against himn, grabbing his hand and intertwining it with hers. She laid her head atop his shoulder and sat there smiling, watching as the fireworks went off in the sky above them. A few minutes passed like that, content with the world around them until…

"So wait, are we dating now?" Ash asked suddenly, confused by the concept that just besieged his brain.

"Yes, I suppose we are…" Misty said with a giggle.

"So…that means that…you're my girlfriend?" Ash asked, still confused. Misty shook her head and laughed lightly.

"Yes, Ash Ketchum, I am." Misty said. There was a pause.

"Awkward."

It was needless to say that their new relationship started off with the word "mallet".

**

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Author's Note: There you have it Pokeshipper fans! Ash and Misty are dating. However, a word on romance. I don't believe kissing acknowledges this sort of thing and Ash isn't a romantic guy. He just kinda blurts things out. Therefore, sorry, no kisses are planned. Hugs, kind words and slight mushiness…maybe…but no kissing. Lots of couples and fluff in this, even if there was important information but that should all be gone next chapter. We're picking up again. But who said people can't have fun during a war. On another note, I'm sorry this took so long but school took hold of me, as did Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and my recent discovery of Fullmetal Alchemist (awesome anime!). But regardless, I'm back and I'll try to update once more before the break. In the meantime PLEASE REVIEW! And Dare to Be Silly.**


	15. Tension Rises

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Pokemon, nor will I ever, so...I guess I should deal with it.**

* * *

Tension Rises

_BOOM!_

The loud and jarring sound was enough to silence the currently chattering room as all eyes locked onto the source of the commanding noise. Regigigas settled back, taking his fist away from where it had slammed down, alerting all of the legendaries in the room to come to order. Zapdos ruffled its feathers as it spoke to Regigigas.

_What is the meaning of this, Regigigas? Why have we been called here?_ Zapdos asked and there was a general murmur of assent among the Pokemon in the room. Regigigas breathed in slowly before beginning to speak.

_The time has come. Today we begin our assault on the world of men._ Regigigas stated with authority and Heatran let out a loud cackle.

_All due respect, Regigigas but isn't that what we've been doing for nearly the last month?_ Heatran responded and Regigigas let out a rather booming chuckle and Heatran's comment.

_Very true, Heatran. However, that was merely the preparation for the true plan. And now, those preparations are complete._ Regigigas responded to the Pokemon and Heatran backed away, satisfied.

_ What is the plan exactly?_ Groudon question of the giant Pokemon standing there. If Regigigas could smirk, all the Pokemon in the room imagined that was exactly what it was doing now. He didn't speak for a moment, although all the Pokemon in the room were staring at him with utmost anticipation for their orders.

_We will strike in two locations. Lost and confused, their forces must be split, making them ripe for the picking. They cannot flee, and they cannot hide. We have made sure of that._ Regigigas responded to the crowd. _Therefore, our forces will be split. Each side will take a fair amount of Golbat and Mightyena. We have other wild Pokemon on standby as well. Palkia, Groudon, Heatran, you three will head to Point A. Zapdos, Moltres, Articuno, Raikou and Deoxys, you will head for Point B._

_What of yourself and us, Regigigas?_ Entei questioned and Regigigas inclined its head slightly.

_You are to be the reinforcements, as are I and my fellow brothers. Should things go south on the battlefields, at least then we will have backup waiting in the wings._ Regigigas told him and Entei nodded in understanding. Articuno took this moment to voice his own point of view.

_ What of Mewtwo? What role is he to take in this battle?_

_He shall have no role. He is remaining at his post. What good would it do us if we were to lose an ear on their activities because Mewtwo fought for us? No, he is remaining at the enemy's base, blissfully unaware of the plan._

_ Do you not trust him?_ Moltres asked with a tone of smugness.

_ It is not that, merely that if he were aware, our advantage might be lost in some way. Mewtwo, I believe, is worthy of our complete trust. Besides, the plan he has suggested to take place soon sounds most beneficial._ Regigigas responded.

_And what plan would this be? _Palkia asked of their supposed leader in operations.

_That plan has been divulged only to those that will take part in it. Until then, focus on your own battle ahead. Now, depart towards conquest and victory!_

-CT-

"CHUUUUU!" Ash threw his hand up and a small blue rectangle expanded in front of his body, blocking the place where the bolt tried to strike almost exactly. Pikachu sprung up into the air using his tail which began shining. Ash waved a hand in front of his face, creating a long chain of aura spheres which he grabbed at the end and used as a whip. Within a second he had wrapped the end around Pikachu's tail and flung him away. Pikachu easily recovered and started into a Volt tackle towards his trainer. Knowing he couldn't use pinpoint accuracy Ash made a full Aura Shield. Pikachu slammed into the shield and dug in, trying to get at Ash. Ash smirked and, without even waving his hands, caused a ring of Aura Spheres to surround his body. Both Ash and Pikachu's eyes widened and Ash sent the spheres flying. One of them struck Pikachu and sent him flying backwards. Pikachu regained his movement and landed on all fours.

"What in the…?" Ash said in shock, looking his hands over with awe. He soon felt a presence next to him and saw Misty looking at his hands.

"That hasn't happened before, has it?" Misty said. Ash shook his head. Misty took a step back with a look of impressed awe. She had watched Ash training everyday for the last three days and that was the first time she had ever seen him use aura without the use of his hands. In her mind, that was amazing.

"Heh. Guess I am getting better!" Ash proclaimed loudly with a laugh. Misty slapped him lightly on the shoulder.

"Don't inflate your ego more than it already is." Misty scolded him. Ash began to pout slightly.

"Awww…but Misty…" Ash began when a short glare from her silenced him. Ash saw movement near the mansion back door, as he was busy training in the backyard. "Hey Dawn! How ya doing?" Ash called out to the blue haired girl who suddenly stopped short but then continued on as if she had never heard him. Ash just shrugged it off but Misty stared in worry after the retreating girl.

"Hey Ash?" Misty said and Ash turned to her with an inquiring look. "Do you think everything's okay with D-" Her question was cut short as a loud whirring filled the air. Both trainers looked up to see two helicopters streaking across the sky. Both caught sight of the insignia labeled on the side.

"That's from the Pokemon League, isn't it?" Ash asked and Misty nodded. "Grab your stuff." In a single moment, Misty had dashed back inside while Ash began his run over to the airfield where he knew both of the helicopters would land. In a few minutes he reached it and looked to see the blonde haired Sinnoh champion descending from one of the vehicles.

"Ash, I'm glad you're here." Cynthia said with a smile. "We need your help."

"Really? Last time we didn't exactly part on the greatest of terms." Ash said with his eyebrows raised.

"True, but I'd be a fool to not call upon you when I need your help. Which," Cynthia said, sending a sharp glare in Ash's direction, "you were supposed to inform us when you went somewhere else. Were it not for your mother, we would not be speaking here and now."

"Yeah…sorry about that. I got so caught up in other things that I needed to do that I kinda forgot." Ash said with an apologetic smile towards Cynthia.

"What other things could you have possibly been caught up with?" Cynthia said with a disapproving turn to her lips.

"Uhh…stuff…" Ash said, and was saved the prospect of elaborating by his friends who had finally reached the airfield.

"Cynthia?" Brock exclaimed and Cynthia gave them all a wave. "What are you doing here?"

"Ah, right. Battle has broken out in two locations." Cynthia said. "A rather smart gambit on the enemy's part. The two locations aren't even near each other and so we've been forced to split into two to take on the enemies. And trust me, they're rather numerous. They have plenty of wild Pokemon aiding them."

"By why would you need my help? Aren't the League forces enough?" Ash asked, confused with Cynthia's presence.

"Well, they would have been. But we recently suffered some losses in the form of various gym leaders and Elite Four members leaving the league to save their own skins. it's deplorable…really…" Cynthia finished off with a sigh. She brushed a strand of hair from her face before continuing on. "As it were, we're a little short staffed and could use your help in one of the locations."

"Okay, where's the fighting broken out?" Ash asked of Cynthia, who immediately responded.

"Mount Silver and Sootopolis City." Cynthia told him and May and Max immediately pushed themselves forward to stand in front of the champion.

"Sootopolis? That's in Hoenn!" May said loudly and Cynthia gave a curt nod. "Max, we're going."

"No. I can't afford any more liabilities on the battlefield." Cynthia said angrily to which Ash's nostrils flared.

"Hoenn is our home! You can't just expect us to sit by and watch it get attacked!" Max said, his glare containing a ferocity none had seen on the young trainer before. "Look, three years ago we battled the Rocket Four, and we were less experienced then! Please, let us help." Cynthia sighed in defeat.

"Fine, I guess we'll have the second helicopter go to Sootopolis then." Cynthia stated as Dawn stepped forward. The champion noticed the slight puffiness around her eyes but made no comment on it.

"I'll go to. May and Max are my friends and I want to make sure their home is safe." Dawn said and Piplup nodded on her shoulder.

"Fine." Cynthia snapped. "I know that there is no way of stopping you when you're stubborn enough. Besides, I guess we can use the help and I do trust your skills Dawn."

"So, I would guess that means I'm heading off to Mount Silver?" Ash asked and Cynthia's nod confirmed the answer.

"Then we're going with him." Misty said defiantly as she and Brock took a step forward. Cynthia groaned in frustration.

"You can trust them Cynthia! I know you don't want to have to worry about them but Misty's a gym leader and Brock comes from a gym family. They can do well in a fight." Ash told her and Cynthia took a threatening step forward.

"Ash, understand this: the more time we waste here, the worse the battle will get." Cynthia told him.

"So we shouldn't argue about it! I'm going with Ash!" Barry said, stepping forward. Ash smirked and gave a slight shrug. Cynthia opened her mouth to argue but Barry cut her off. "If you don't let me go, I'm fining you. Besides, me and Ash work well together when we're not with Paul. Right, Ash?"

"He is right about that." Ash responded with a chuckle. Now Kenny and Drew both stepped forward.

"We're going to Sootopolis too, then." they said and Cynthia's mouth quickly became a very thin line.

"NO! This is where I draw the line. The others I can understand, and I know that they're prepared for this eventuality. As for yourselves, I don't know you well enough to even consider sending you on a reconnaissance mission, much less an actual battle. You want a way to Sootopolis, find it on your own!" Cynthia was practically heaving with frustration after her statement and both Kenny and Drew backed away. "We need to move! NOW!" Within moments the two groups made their way onto their respective helicopters, Cynthia joining Ash on his.

"Are you going to fight with us?" Ash asked as the helicopter took to the skies.

"Unfortunately not. I'm needed back at League Headquarters." Cynthia told him as their helicopter split towards the west while the other helicopter headed south. "Glacia of the Hoenn Elite Four is leading the defense on Mount Silver, you'll report to her as soon as you're there, understood?"

"I got it." Ash said, and his other three companions nodded. The rest of the helicopter ride was forced to pass in silence since nobody could hear anything anyway. However, they all knew when they were close by the loud sounds and explosions coming from nearby. The pilot turned towards them.

"You'll need to use the ladder to get down. We get too close, this chopper might not make it up into the air again." They all gave him a thumbs up as they came close to the disembarking point. Cynthia gave them all a "Good luck!" as they grabbed onto the ladder and climbed down as fast as possible. Before long, all four had reached the ground.

Dirt and debris was being blown everywhere, though it was most evident on the other side of a giant ice wall that had been erected. As they looked around for Glacia they noticed that they were in the main stadium where the Silver Conference was usually held. The ice wall stretched across part of the stadium and across the bleachers. Set in little culverts along the ice wall were a number of people that had come to fight with their Pokemon. On their side of the wall however, people were battling the hordes of Golbat that had flown over and the few other wild Pokemon that had gotten through. Before the four trainers could do anything however, a blonde-haired woman wearing a rather nice dress came hurrying up to them.

"Chosen One Ash Ketchum, is it? Pleased to fully meet in the flesh at last. I'm Glacia." the woman said, holding her hand out to Ash. Ash smiled and shook it.

"Where do you need us?" Ash asked of her and Glacia proceeded to explain their current situation.

"Currently that ice wall that my Glalie and Walrein have been creating is out major line of defense. We have plenty of fighters on the other side of the wall but their mostly trying to prevent the Pokemon from streaming through in mass numbers. Our biggest threat at the moment is Groudon, who is out there trying to bring down the wall with earthquakes. Well, the Pokemon Heatran is also attempting to bring down the wall but our water squad is keeping him at bay. Unfortunately, that means less pressure on Groudon. What I need is for you to be in the front line and distract that Heatran so we can focus our efforts on Groudon."

"Sounds like a plan." Ash said with a smile.

"Glacia, I'm a water Pokemon trainer. If you don't mind, I can help on taking out Groudon." Misty said and Glacia nodded curtly. Misty gave Ash's hand a tight squeeze before running off in the direction of the wall, calling Gyarados out as she ran.

"All right, me and Ash will head to the front lines." Barry said with enthusiasm. He and Ash gave each other a high five.

"Brock, be careful." Ash said and Brock shook his head.

"There is no way I'm leaving the two of you alone out there. I'm going with you." Brock responded and Ash nodded with a smile.

"Whatever you're going to do, do it quick." Glacia said. "Just remember, we are not trying to kill these Pokemon. We are trying to either faint them or force them to retreat."

"No need to worry about that ma'am." Ash told her with a confident smile. "All right, let's get moving!" The three trainers started forward towards the ice wall, Barry sending out Empoleon and Brock calling forth Croagunk as they ran. As they neared the ice wall they noticed small entrances at the base, not enough to collapse the wall but enough for their side to get through and commence combat with the enemy. In front of all of these holes were trainers and their Pokemon, protecting the exposed entrances as best they could. The three trainers immediately sprang for one of the open entrances and proceeded to make their way inside it. The path to the other side was short and before long they could see how the action on the front lines was moving.

Numerous Golbat surrounded the area, distracting trainers from their goal of engaging the legendaries. This gave the legendaries time to pick them off one by one. Up above, some of the trainers that were on the ice wall were combating the Golbat threat with some Ice Beams and some Hydro Pumps. Of the opposing legendaries, Groudon was the farthest back, moving his way slowly up to the ice wall. The trainers with water Pokemon were attempting to keep him back but it was proving more difficult as Heatran bombarded them with Flamethrowers and Palkia attacked with its own attacks. Thankfully, all of Palkia's attacks that broke through were immediately sealed up. Ash quickly surmised that both Heatran and Palkia needed to be taken out of the picture.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt on Palkia now!" Ash ordered and Pikachu responded with a powerful bolt, searing in Palkia's general direction. The attack collided and Palkia was immediately interrupted in its action. Its attention now gathered, it focused on Ash.

_Heatran, we have a new target to play with!_ Palkia announced loudly and Ash smirked, summoning his sword to his hands.

"Bring it on!" Ash said and Pikachu stood on all fours in front of Ash with its own smirk present. At once Palkia sent an Aura Sphere hurtling from itself. Ash ran forward and sent a barrage of his own Aura Spheres at the attack, breaking it up before it impacted. Palkia whipped around and opened its mouth, a steam of energy flying from it. Barry leapt forward and ordered Empoleon to use Hydro Cannon. Empoleon complied and the two attacks collided as Ash and Croagunk ran up to Palkia. The swipe of Ash's sword and Croagunk's Brick Break hit at once and Palkia went reeling backwards.

"All right!" Barry yelled in victory just as Palkia righted itself and summoned energy into its arm. "Uh…what's that?"

"Not something good." Ash said. "Get close to me!"

"What?" Barry asked shocked and Ash rolled his eyes as Brock grabbed a hold of Barry and pulled him next to Ash. Ash brought his hands before his body as Palkia swiped downward. The Spatial Rend attack aiming straight for them. Barry began to panic as Ash formed a shield around their group. The attacked connected and shattered the shield moments later, but dissipated before it could touch any of them. Ash wasted no time waiting around.

"Brock, tell Croagunk to throw Pikachu and Pikachu, use Volt Tackle!" Ash ordered as Barry ordered a Hydro Pump from Empoleon. Empoleons attack struck first, drenching the already part-water type in more water just as Pikachu's Volt Tackle connected. Electric consulsions took Palkia's body as Ash ordered an Iron Tail from Pikachu. That second attack connected just as Palkia tossed an Aura Sphere, hitting Pikachu off its body. Ash ran forward towards his descending Pokemon and swiped his sword through the sphere. Pikachu was freed from the energy and landed on all fours.

_He's all yours, Heatran!_ Palkia said before flying away from the site of the battle. Ash smiled in triumph and gave his friends a thumbs up as a flame went flying over his head. Ash barely had any time to duck as the flame missed him by inches. When Ash looked up he saw the hulking form of Heatran glaring at him.

_So we meet again Chosen Brat! You got the best of me in Cinnabar, but not this time._ Heatran taunted and Ash didn't say anything before sending a barrage of Aura Spheres in Heatran's direction. Heatran dodged all of the attacks with alacrity, chuckling all the while.

"Can't you just stay still?" Ash screamed out before surrounding himself in a two rings of spinning aura spheres. Heatran fired out a jet of flame as Ash sent both the spheres after him. Ash's timing was off, however, as the spheres began to bombard Heatran's general direction. The flame almost caught Ash when a Hydro Pump from Empoleon negated the attack.

"Empoleon, take it on with Metal Claw!" Barry ordered and Empoleon ran forward, its fins shining a metal hue. Empoleon swiped at the Pokemon but Heatran proved far faster than anticipated. With one quick movement, Heatran pounded into the ground and shot of lava sprung up, striking Empoleon from beneath. Empoleon stumbled backward, slightly fatigued.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt now!" Ash ordered and Pikachu sent a bolt towards Heatran. This time the attack actually stuck home. However, Heatran soon opened its mouth and sent a billowing flame at the pair. "Use Counter Shield, quick!" Pikachu immediately shifted to his back and began spinning around in an effort to dispel the flame. As the two blocked the flame, Heatran moved forward before leaping into the air. Pikachu ceased its futile attack as Ash dropped to one knee and slid under the Pokemon, bringing his sword up and giving the Pokemon a scratch on the bottom. Heatran landed with a grimace as Ash stood upright with a smirk. He lunged forward with his sword, trying to jab a Heatran, who avoided all of his attacks. Ash's eyes flicked over to the left to see Brock and Barry surrounded by Golbat, fighting them off with all of their strength.

_All alone now, are we?_ Heatran said with a deep chuckle. Ash gave him a simpering smile before raising both hands above his head and summoning a large Aura Sphere. He then sent the ball of energy hurtling along the ground towards Heatran who barely moved out of the way. His maneuver was short lived as Ash began sending his own barrage of attacks at the Pokemon. Heatran kept moving to avoid the attacks until one clipped his side. heatran snarled loudly as it leapt forward, its claws shining. Ash had no time to block and the attack ripped across his left shoulder. Ash screamed loudly and fell to the ground, blood pouring profusely from his wound. Pikachu ran over to his trainer, looking at him with concern as Heatran plunged towards Ash with an attack once again.

"Stop it now!" Barry ordered. Ash saw a flash of blue as Heatran was suddenly flung away from him. Ash grimaced as he sat up. He held his hand over his wound and it shined with a pale blue before closing up, though the dried blood remained. Ash saw Brock's hand being offered to him and he took it, standing up. "All right, let's finish this!"

"Right, Volt Tackle!" Ash ordered just as both Brock and Barry ordered their Pokemon to use physical moves. Heatran finally righted itself and smirked. Before the Pokemon could connect with their attacks Heatran opened its mouth and let out a screech attack that rendered all of them useless. Ash clapped his hands over his ears and saw as his friends did the same. All over the battlefield, people and Pokemon alike covered their ears from the offending sound. The noise only broke when a more horrifying noise was heard. Ash whipped around and saw the ice wall shatter underneath Groudon's attacks. All the people on the wall began sliding off, along with their Pokemon.

"Misty!" Brock and Ash's horrified voices yelled. Heatran chuckled and sent a Flamethrower at them. Empoleon quickly blocked the attack and Barry engaged the Pokemon as Ash and Brock ran over to the fallen ice wall, looking for Misty as Mightyena stormed over the broken fragments. "Misty, answer me! Where are you?"

"I'm right here, idiots." Misty said and they noticed her red hair. As they finally reached her, they noticed that Misty had her back up against the wall of the bleachers, a large ice block on her foot. She was breathing heavily and a small dribble of blood was leaking from her chin.

"Are you all right?" Ash asked and Misty gave him a pointed glare.

"Do I _look_ all right?" Misty said snappily.

"I meant, is it serious, or anything like that?" Ash asked her and she shook her head.

"No, I'm fine. I think…I think my foot is broken." Misty said. Brock quickly instructed Croagunk to remove the ice block. Misty tried to stand up but soon collapsed under her own weight. Brock quickly grabbed onto her. Ash bent down and went towards Misty's foot. He held his hand over her foot and the appendage was bathed in a blue light.

"Try it now." Ash said as he stood up. Misty took a tentative step forward and smiled. She could move again.

"That certainly didn't go well, did it?" Misty said with her own grimace as Ash began to survey the damage. His mind took in all of the people under the remnants of the ice, their hands limp and unmoving, their Pokemon having joined them in their graves. Elsewhere, those who did manage to survive were either bleeding profusely or trying desperately to get up. Glacia was seen tending to one of the men who had a large ice shard sticking out of his stomach. Ash's eyes kept widening at the carnage before him. How could all this have happened?

"We need to get moving. Those legendaries won't stop here." Brock said but Ash refused to move. There was movement next to them as Barry and Empoleon flew backwards from an impact of Heatran. Both got up quickly however and sneered at the Pokemon that was approaching again. "Ash!"

"All those people…they're dead…" he said in a hushed whisper. "How…how…how did this happen?" Tears began to sting Ash's eyes. "How did I fail them?"

"You didn't fail them Ash? We need to go."

"Dead…all dead…NO!" Ash yelled out and ran forward towards the fallen people, the half-baked idea of bringing them back in his mind. He felt a hand grab him and pull him back, two hands.

"Ash, don't do anything stupid." Barry warned him and he turned to them with wild eyes.

"How…how can you just accept this? How can you be so calm?" Ash asked of Brock. "Let me go! I need to save them!" Brock quickly slapped Ash across the face and Ash stared at him with a sobered look on his face.

"I'm calm because I've watched my best friend die twice." Brock said as he stared into Ash's eyes. "Now you need to pull yourself together. These people need you." Ash continued looking into Brock's eyes before he nodded.

A cry then screeched through the air as Palkia returned at tossed a Spatial Rend at the group. Ash brought his shield up quickly just as the attack hit. Croagunk, Empoleon and Misty's Starmie took the attacks for their trainer and all four of them were hit to the ground by the force of the attack. Ash looked up to see Palkia throwing an Aura Sphere at himself. The Aura Sphere left Palkia and sailed straight towards the Chosen One. Pikachu was up in a flash, tossing a Thunderbolt at the attack. However it did little dissipate or stop the attack. Ash prepared for the end when a bright orange beam sailed through and struck the sphere, causing it to explode. Right after that, a blue beam hit Palkia, forcing it backwards. Ash quickly looked up and saw the forms of Lugia, Dialga, and Giratina flying overhead, attacks flying from each of them. Ash felt a cool breeze run through his body and turned to his side to see Suicune.

"Suicune?" Ash said in surprise.

_Are you all right?_ Suicune asked of the young trainer. Ash nodded as he stood up and gave a thumbs up.

"You guys are here…Arceus sent you?" Ash asked and Suicune was about to answer when Lugia passed by, responding quickly to Ash.

"Details Ash, don't we have a battle to win?"

**

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Author's Note: I will now leave you with that absolutely delicious cliffhanger. Yes, Arceus has relented and sent his forces to help out the humans. What will happen in the next part of this battle, well, you'll see. I quite enjoyed writing this chapter myself what with the action and it certainly takes us away from the recent fluff the story has been plagued with. In either case, next chapter will show more of this epic battle. Also, in the meantime, please take the time to vote on my latest poll which will be up for two chapters. Till we meet again, REVIEW! And Dare to Be Silly.**

**To Anon: I'm grateful that you enjoy the story so much, however, I would like to ask that, if possible, you could get an account. I like replying to my reviewers but I only do so over the review reply system so as to not take up extra space in the story that isn't devoted to it. Thanks a lot! (If you can't get an account that's fine, but I can't respond to your reviews then…)**


	16. Here Comes the Gigas

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Pokemon, nor ever will.**

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Here Comes the Gigas

_Get on!_ Suicune ordered Ash. Ash waited for Pikachu to quickly hop onto his shoulders before he quickly flung himself onto Suicune. Suicune was about to start forward when Ash heard his name being called. He turned around to see his friends standing there, looking lost and confused.

"What's going on Ash?" Misty asked, a fearful tone present in her voice. Ash sent her a reassuring smile before answering.

"No time to explain. Just know that these guys are on our side." Ash said before Suicune sprang forward to join its comrades in battle. Ash turned his head a little backwards and saw Brock sending out Sudowoodo and Barry sending out Heracross as his three friends ran forth onto the battlefield. Ash then quickly turned his attention back towards his own battled. Golbat and Mightyena started rushing in towards him and Suicune and Ash began reacting without thinking. As Pikachu sent Thunderbolts at the invading Pokemon Ash flung Aura Sphere after Aura Sphere onto them. All the while, Suicune sent Aurora Beams towards the Pokemon. A large shadow passed over head to see Lugia in battle with Palkia. Palkia charged up a Spatial Rend and sent it at Lugia who quickly blocked with Protect before sending an Aeroblast straight at Palkia.

_Ash, Heatran is ahead._ Suicune said to him and Ash smirked.

"Well bring him on. Time for a little payback." Ash said. Suicune bowed his head a little and rushed forward with even more inhuman speed. Ash surrounded himself in a circle of Aura Spheres. "Pikachu, charge these spheres!"

"Pika!" Pikachu responded and let off a small burst of electricity that hit all of the various sphere surrounding Ash. Ash threw his hand forward and all of the spheres shot after Heatran. Heatran let out a bellow of flame which Suicune easily dodged, sending a Bubblebeam straight towards the pokemon. The flame itself consumed most of the spheres and Heatran felt that he had at least escaped that attack when one struck him right on the side of the head. The flame coming from him ceased and the spheres which had endured the attack, hit Heatran with full force.

_Petulant child. I'll make you pay!_ Heatran groaned out and Ash extended his hands again, a long line of Aura Spheres emerging and attaching themselves to one another. Heatran opened its mouth to use yet another Screech attack, but Ash knew what it was about to do.

"I don't think so Heatran, not today!" Ash yelled and he flung his makeshift whip at the pokemon. The whip quickly wrapped itself Heatran;'s mouth, causing the pokemon to be unable to make any attacks. With the strain of his muscles Ash tried heaving the heavy pokemon, but was unable to do so.

"Need a hand, Ash?" Lugia asked, floating above Heatran. Two powerful legs grabbed ahold of Heatran and in a moment, flung the Lava Dome pokemon straight into the bleachers. Ash let go of the whip and the spheres all disappeared of their own accord. Suicune dug in and changed direction, now heading for where Giratina was doing battle with Palkia and both Lugia and Dialga were peppering Groudon with their many shots. Suicune sent a powerful Aurora Beam at Palkia who quickly and deftly blocked the attack with its arm.

"Pikachu, Volt Tail!" Ash commanded. Pikachu smirked as he leapt off of Ash's shoulder and began a Volt Tackle charge straight through the air. Palkia turned a brought its hand down on the electric mouse but Pikachu spun its body around in a movement that he had mastered years ago. His tail glowed and with extreme force, collided with Palkia's exposed head, shocking it all over its body. Palkia was wracked with convulsions as Pikachu flipped off and Suicune's mouth caught him by his tail before flipping him back up to Ash.

Palkia reared back in anger and a pink light coalesced into the jewel on his arm. With rage he slashed forward, the Spatial Rend attack narrowly missing Ash and Suicune. As soon as they were clear of the attack Ash thought he heard Barry yell "I'm fining you!" before his head was back in the action. Giratina flew at Palkia quickly. Palkia opened its mouth to let out a Dragon Pulse as Giratina disappeared. Confused for a moment, Palkia hung there when suddenly Giratina slammed into it from behind. Palkia pitched forward as an orange beam from Lugia struck its crystal. Slight cracks appeared in it and Palkia snarled.

_Fall back! We can't fight them like this!_ Palkia yelled out and in an instant all three of the legendary combatants were wrapped in a spatial vortex and disappeared. At the same time, there was a mass exodus of Golbat from the scene as all of the enemy pokemon fled from the field. A moment was taken as everyone stood there, wondering what had just happened. Ash cracked a smile as everyone in the vicinity began cheering loudly. Ash leapt off of Suicune, taking a look to see his three friends running over to him.

"We won! I told you we would!" Barry said loudly. Ash pulled all three of them into a hug, thanking them for all their hard work. Ash let them go and turned to face Suicune as the others. As he opened his mouth to speak a rumble shook the stadium. Ash's eyes scrunched up as he looked at his companions in confusion. Then another rumble shook the stadium and everyone seemed to quiet down. Where was the sound coming from? Another rumble, louder this time. Ash looked down at his feet to see the rocks shaking. As another rumble made its way through the stadium he saw the rocks next to him specifically jumping up off the ground. Then he realized.

"MOVE!" Ash yelled and he took Misty and jumped away from the ground as an explosion broke through the surface. Ash flipped over, his back now to Misty and looked at the sight of dust settling all over. A hulking shape emerged from the clearing dust and Ash saw a craggy rock with seven dots were a human's eyes would possibly be. There were three more loud blasts and Ash saw a large formation of ice and a rounded formation of steel emerge. Ash instantly knew what all of them were before a final explosion took place in the center of all three. Ash stood up as he felt Suicune come next to him. Overhead, Lugia, Giratina, and Dialga were all floating, readying themselves for what was about to come. When the dust finally ceased its swirling Ash saw Regirock, Regice, Registeel and Regigigas standing there in their hulking forms. Regigigas took a deep breath and exhaled, nearly shaking the stadium.

_Why do I sense a filthy, tainted pokemon?_ Regigigas questioned. The dots on his body lit up in color as it laid eyes upon the group standing there. _Ah yes…that would be why._ Regigigas held its hands out and energy formed within the palm of its hands. The next instant, two Hyper Beams were fired off, slamming into the bleachers and sending a rain of debris. Lugia used protect on itself, the effect shielding all the others from attacks. Suicune immediately sprung forward, heading straight for Regirock, firing off a powerful Auora Beam in the pokemon's direction. At the same time, Lugia went straight for Registeel as Dialga decided to engage Regice. Giratina opened its mouth and sent the blue energy that came streaming out of it directly towards Regigigas. Regigigas moved its hand and sent a Hyper Beam its way. The attack blew straight through Giratina's attack as Giratina moved out of the way. Ash started running forward.

"Ash, we'll help too." Misty said confidently. Ash stopped and looked at his friends before shaking his head.

"No. This is our battle. We'll take care of it. You guys, just find someplace that's safe." Ash said before he ran forward, Pikachu at his heels. Regirock glowed a yellow color and suddenly pulled a long line of rocks out of the ground. One by one it hurtled the rocks at Suicune who used Bubblebeam on them if they came too close. Ash stepped forward and sent an Aura Sphere hurtling from his hand to break apart the nearest rock. Regirock began its traditional attack gurgling as it turned to face Ash. Its eyes glowed a deadly yellow as all the rocks in the area broke up into small pieces. Regirock pitched its arms forward and all of the rocks began moving a fast sped towards Ash. Ash took a step back as Pikachu began sending Thunderbolt after Thunderbolt towards the rocks. Ash closed his eyes and focused his will in on his aura. He brought his hands above his head before extending them outwards. Above his head a large number of aura spheres appeared. Ash pushed his hands forward and the spheres raced forward to meet the rock chunks. Each of them connected with one another, breaking the rocks into even smaller fragments that went spraying in every direction. Ash turned his back to the flying debris to shield himself, only receiving a few nicks on his arms in the process.

Ash turned around and sent an Aura Sphere at Regirock whose eyes glowed again and brought the small chunks of rock surrounding him into a single shield. The aura sphere struck the shield and shattered it once more but, to ash's dismay, Regirock was hurtling towards him with a Giga Impact attack. Ash swiped his free hand upward and a blue shield erected itself as Regirock slammed into it. The shield started cracking and Ash took a step backward, quickly bringing up yet another shield. Regirock slammed through the first shield and started barreling onto the second, causing Ash to keep backing up. But Ash noticed that with each shield, Regirock was slowing down. Soon enough, Regirock was stuck trying to break through one of Ash's shields. Ash's fist clenched and two Aura Spheres appeared next to his head. With a slight wave he sent the aura spheres around back, slamming them into Regirock. As Regirock fell, Suicune came roaring past, pelting it with a Bubblebeam. Ash smirked in triumph.

A shrill gurgle now met Ash's ears and he turned to see Regice sending an Ice Beam at him. Before Ash could shield himself, Giratina flew in front of him and sent a Dragon Pulse at the attack. Both attacks met and exploded on impact. Ash closed his eyes before the dust could get into them. As he turned back he saw Giratina flying off and engaging Regigigas once more.

"Pikachu, Iron Tail, go!" Ash yelled and Pikachu dashed forward quickly. Regice attempted to pelt the small pokemon with an Ice Beam but Pikachu was too fast and managed to leap into the air, crashing on the Iceberg pokemon. At the same time, a wide barrage of Aura Spheres slammed in at the pokemon's eyes. Regice stumbled backwards as Pikachu rejoined his master. As it went backwards however it shot another Ice Beam at Ash, just as a Flash Cannon came from another direction. Ash brought a shield up as the two attacks slammed into it. An Aeroblast from Lugia and an Aurora Beam soon followed up the attack, pushing both pokemon away. However, Registeel kept its assault going while Suicune engaged Regice. Ash took a step back and sent his hand waving across the ground. A shockwave went arcing along the surface of the ground toward Registeel. Registeel fired off a Flash Cannon again just as the shockwave hit it. The Flash cannon missed and nearly hit Dialga, who came in with a Roar of Time directed at the pokemon. While Registeel was occupied, Ash created Aura Spheres in a line extending from himself.

"Pikachu, use a Volt Tackle at Registeel straight through these spheres." Pikachu quickly began running, surrounding itself in a shower of sparks and it rammed right through all of the spheres that Ash had created. Each one of the spheres was quickly charged up electrically and before long, Registeel, who had just avoided an Earth Power attack from Dialga was hit by the Volt Tackle. As Pikachu leapt away, Ash sent all of the charged spheres forward, each of them one by one peppering the Iron Pokemon. Confident with himself Ash took a step forward.

"Ash, move it!" Lugia cried out. Ash turned and saw Regigigas aiming a Hyper Beam at him. The beams shot from both of its hands as Lugia and Dialga flew in front of him to intercept with an Aeroblast and a Roar of Time. The three attacks met at once and the stadium was filled with an eerie purple glow as a whirlwind of dust separated the two sides. Ash felt Suicune come up next to him as the other three legendaries floated up top. When the whirlwind ceased, all four Regis were standing opposite them.

_Four on five isn't very fair, now is it?_ Regigigas said as the other Regis laughed.

"Yeah, cause you guys fight fair all the time, huh?" Ash said with a snarl. The Regis only continued to laugh. With a growl Ash stepped forward and shockwaves of aura were sent straight from his body, splitting off and striking all four of the Regis where they stood. The three that had already taken heavy damage were pitched backward but Regigigas remained standing. Regigigas easily recovered and summoned energy in his hands as Ash dashed forward. Regigigas quickly fired off a Hyper Beam from its hands and sent it homing at Ash. Ash summoned his own large sphere to his hands before sending it at the attack similar to a beam. The two attacks collided and a small explosion happened in the center. Dust flew up in the air and cracks appeared in the ground. Ash was blown backwards slightly by the force. He felt a drip on his face and took his hand up, wiping away the blood that had appeared under his nose.

Ash began scanning around, waiting for where Regigigas would attack. Then Ash felt the rumble underneath his feet and quickly threw himself away as Regigigas came up from under him. Ash twirled his sword in his hands as Lugia and Dialga came through the still swirling dust on opposite sides of Regigigas. Each of them opened their mouths to attack but Regigigas brought its arms up and sent two Hyper Beams at both targets. The attacks struck head on and both pokemon were flown away. Before Regigigas could switch its attention back to Ash, a steam of bubbles began pelting the Colossal Pokemon. Regigigas backed up slightly before setting its feet into the ground and starting to make its way towards Ash. With speed and alacrity, Ash tossed his sword at Regigigas, hoping to impale it on the shoulder. However, Regigigas snapped its hand up and grabbed the sword before it could do any damaged. Its hand quickly closed with a strong force and the sword dissipated into nothingness.

With a powerful swipe. Regigigas broke free of the oncoming Bubblebeam and proceeded to make its charge towards. Ash. Pikachu quickly leapt in front of its trainer and sent a searing bolt of lightning at the pokemon. Regigigas halted its movements for a moment as its body convulsed with shocks but still managed to move forward. It brought its fist into the air as it neared Ash, who was stumbling backwards. With a quick downward movement, Regigigas brought the hand down on Ash. Ash managed to avoid the attack, falling to the ground, just as its fist slammed into the earth, breaking it up. Pikachu quickly took this moment and ran up Regigigas arm before jumping up and slamming into the pokemon's backside with an Iron Tail. At the same time, a Dragon Pulse from Giratina slammed into its side. Regigigas was sent reeling again as Ash quickly stood up. Without hesitation, Regigigas sent another Hyper Beam straight at Ash. Ash quickly brought his shield up as the attack slammed into it. After a few tense seconds the shield broke apart and the attack disintegrated. Ash's mind was now working furiously and an idea quickly came to his head as he summoned his sword.

"Pikachu, use your tail and shock this!" Ash said, holding his sword out to Pikachu. Pikachu quickly touched its tail to the blade and sent electrical convulsions through it. As soon as Pikachu finished, Ash ran at Regigigas. Suicune quickly dashed up alongside Ash.

_Need a lift Ash! Jump!_ Ash did so, and with tremendous strength, Suicune catapulted him at Regigigas. Ash made to strike with his sword as his opponent brought its hand up. The sword connected with Regigigas' hand and Ash attempted to drive it in, bit by bit, a growl running through his entire body.

"Come on already…" Ash seethed as he pushed in with more force. Regigigas' eyes began blinking and lighting rapidly, indicating two things: it was getting tired, and it was about to use an attack. Ash's eyes widened.

_You lose, Chosen One._ Regigigas said as its free hand went straight up against Ash's face. There wasn't a single moment before the yellow beam hit Ash. Without warning, aura spheres suddenly flew off from Ash's body and struck Regigigas' eyes, as the final force that Ash had exerted sent a bolt of searing pain across its hand. Ash flew off before he landed on Giratina's back. In a moment, however, Ash snapped up. He was okay. He saw a blue glow fade away from his body and smiled. He had subconsciously erected a shield to save himself.

_Are you all right Ash?_ Giratina asked.

"I think so." Ash yelled out before glancing down. The other Regis were standing again and Regigigas was nursing its left hand.

_Regis, retreat! They win today._ With that final word, the four Regis suddenly buried under the ground and disappeared. Ash scowled at the turn of events before landing with Giratina and hopping off. Ash looked down and saw that his usual white shirt was stained with an increasing red splotch. He grimaced in pain, realizing his wound from Heatran had reopened. Ash looked up again to see his friends running towards him and Glacia not far behind. The other legendaries quickly joined up with Ash. Not a word was said for a moment before Glacia addressed the legendaries.

"So…it would appear we have some powerful allies on our side." Glacia said with a stern face.

"Indeed." Lugia answered. "We have been working on events in the shadows up until now, but we feel that it is high time that our services are offered to protect the people."

"So I can inform the Pokemon League that we also have legendaries on our side?" Glacia said. "After all, I'm sure they would wish to know after _somebody_ didn't tell them." Ash smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry…I made a promise not to." He responded and Glacia shrugged.

"Indeed, you may inform them. We look forward to working with you in the future." Lugia said. "I would believe our other allies are already hard at work in Sootopolis to help there." Glacia smiled at them. Dialga turned suddenly to Ash.

_Ah, Ash, Arceus says he'll be contacting you soon. Some kind of mission within the week._ Dialga told him and Ash nodded in understanding.

"Very well then. Legendaries, we fly!" Lugia chorused before all four of the legendaries took off, away from the stadium. The five trainers standing there watched them go. Glacia sighed.

"Well, I have quite a lot of work ahead of me. I'll have to contact Steven and let him know about this, then there's the rebuilding…" Glacia trailed off but Misty smiled warmly at her.

"We can help with rebuilding and all. After all, it's kind of our responsibility. Right guys?" Misty asked and all three of them agreed emphatically. Glacia smirked at them.

"Very well then. First things first will be to move the people. We'll need to get the wounded to a medical center and move the slain to somewhere their souls can rest." Glacia said, a hardened look passing over her features. Ash looked down at his feet before Glacia put a hand on his shoulder. "Ketchum, don't blame yourself. What you did out there saved more lives than not. Remember that. Now get yourself to an infirmary."

"I'm fine, all right." Ash said, raising his arms up. Barry, Brock, and Misty grimaced at the large wound on his shoulder and the nicks and cuts that surrounded his arms. Glacia merely glared at him. "All right, fine, I'll get it checked out." And he started making his way off the broken and battered battlefield.

-CT-

A day later, the stadium at Mt. Silver was undergoing a heavy construction effort. Ash and Pikachu were helping move the shipment of rocks and other construction materials from their drop off point to the stadium, Brock's Happiny along for the ride. As Ash placed down his latest convoy of rocks he felt his shoulder. He had gone to the infirmary right away after Glacia had scolded him to have Nurse Joy bandage it profusely and yell at him for taking so little care of his body. He felt bad…although it was mostly for the reason that he hadn't healed his wound effectively enough that a single stressful action had caused it to reopen. That and he needed new clothes. He had called up his mother quickly and somehow, she had miraculously gotten him the clothes he needed by that morning. Ash heaved a sigh as he walked over to where Misty was taking her break and sat down next to her.

"Boy, cleaning up is a lot of work." Ash said and Misty giggled a little. Pikachu settled in happily between the two and began munching on some pokemon food that Brock had left nearby. Suddenly, Barry came running up to the two of them.

"Hey, Misty, phone call!" Barry announced and Misty gave him a confused look before standing up and walking over to the main building. Barry remained with Ash and began to converse with him over pointless topics. Brock soon came over, having finished his work with Croagunk's Brick Break and picked up Happiny, feeding the small baby pokemon. A few minutes later, Misty came out with a dazed expression.

"Misty? What's wrong?" Ash asked and Misty scratched her head.

"That was Daisy…she wants me to come to Cerulean, said it was a gym emergency." Misty said with a sigh.

"Oh…well, you should go. We'll cover for you here." Ash said with a smile. Misty scoffed a little.

"Actually, I was hoping both you and Brock could come with. Goodness knows you haven't been to Cerulean in years and Brock could help if it's a gym problem." Ash and Brock looked at each other a moment before glancing back at Barry.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine here! Oh, gotta run! Hitmonlee!" Barry cried out, chasing after his dashing pokemon that was almost run over by a Skunktank. All three of the trainers laughed as Ash turned to Misty.

"Sounds great. Let's head to Cerulean." Ash said and Misty led her two friends off the battlefield in preparation of heading home.

**

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Author's Note: You know, it's funny, I felt that chapter was so long but it was only standard length…oh well. I hope you enjoyed this very action packed chapter. Next chapter will be much more subdued but NOT fluffy by any means. This chapter itself moved the plot ahead in ways you could never imagine. Either way, I hope you enjoyed it. So, until next time, vote on my poll, REVIEW! And Dare to Be Silly.**


	17. Legal Maneuvers

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own the Pokemon franchise. I own this plot...and I guess that's good enough.**

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Legal Maneuvers

Cynthia drummed her fingers on the table as Lance sighed next to her. The two of them were in the private conference room waiting for Steven and President Goodshow to arrive with their guests. Both of them had been forced to sit out the recent battles two days ago, having to deal with the political mire that now had to do with being champions of the League. Steven himself had gone to defend Sootopolis the day after the battle had begun, helping to bring it to a swift end. He had returned and confirmed the news that Glacia had already given them over the phone the evening before: the League now had legendaries fighting on its side. n some way it seemed like a far off dream, and yet…Cynthia should have expected it. Either way, the League had not been contacted by their leader nor had they even been notified of who was leading these legendaries. All Cynthia knew was that Ash knew them, and worked with them. In some way, that was good enough for Cynthia.

But it didn't lessen the pain. People had died at both Sootopolis and Mt. Silver. Families were now grieving and locations were now shattered to a point of disrepair. It would take the effort of many citizens pulling together to restore their world to the way it once was. And as Cynthia sighed she thought of the only thing worse: that the body count had not yet been confirmed and matched up with Sootopolis' population figures. The times were growing darker for each and every one of them and Cynthia felt a burden so great upon her shoulders that she probably would have exploded had Lance and Steven not been there to help her. Lance grunted as he sat up in his chair before proceeding to ask Cynthia the question he had been asking since yesterday.

"So…why do you think Ash never told us?" Lance asked and Cynthia rolled her eyes at the dragon trainer.

"I don't know. Why don't you go ask him?" Cynthia snapped at him. "He probably had his reasons, even if we're not happy about it. People don't owe themselves to the League. We may play the part of government but no one swears any kind of fealty to us or our office except for gym leaders, Elite Four members and we champions."

"I know that…it's just…you'd think something as important as an extra line of defense would have been made privy to us." Lance said with a slight scowl.

"Lance, Ash has more pressure on him than anyone, now that everyone knows he's the Chosen One. We can't even fathom the way his mind is working." Cynthia pursed her lips as she stared longingly at the door, waiting for Steven and the others to walk through so the meeting could begin.

"Assuming it's really working at all…" Lance said with a chuckled and Cynthia smiled slightly. The doors before them at last opened and Steven Stone and president Goodshow walked through them, the president sitting next to Cynthia and Steven next to Lance. As soon as the other two were seated, two more people came walking through the door. Not a word was exchanged between the two as they sat down on the chairs provided for them before the Champions. A silence settled on the room for a moment before Cynthia began to speak.

"Pyramid King Brandon, Tower Tycoon Palmer, you have asked for a meeting with we champions. What is your reason for requesting this?" Cynthia asked them with a straightforward glance in their direction.

"To protect the people." Brandon responded. Cynthia quickly implored him to go further with her eyes. "We, that is to say, the Battle Frontier has decided that in this time of war, the primary focus should be on the protection of our people. It I clear, however, that the Pokemon League has many other things on its plate and cannot aptly deal with such an issue."

"Are you offering your services to the League then?" Lance asked and both Palmer and Brandon nodded in affirmation. "And are you also offering your services to another party?"

"Only should the League not accept our proposition." Brandon answered him with narrowed eyes.

"Then give us a reason, why should we accept the Battle Frontier into our fold?" Steven asked, his head propped onto his fist.

"People are priority, are they not? This is a war between humans and Pokemon. These Pokemon wish to destroy we humans. Therefore, I believe you must have a faction that can pour all of its efforts into that rather than dividing your forces. We have, of course, heard of the battles at Mount Silver and Sootopolis City." Brandon said, now standing up. "How can you hope to protect the people when you have just lost such a large number of personnel?" Silence filled the room at that statement before Palmer cleared his throat.

"Champions, I believe that our efforts speak for themselves. Recently, we had two members of the Battle Frontier stationed at Shamouti. No attacks have been recorded." Palmer said. He took a deep breath before going on. "Look, no one here can deny that the League is stretched to its end. We are here to help relieve that. Just think of the number of attacks you guys missed: Pallet Town, Snowpoint Temple. Any number of places that you couldn't get to fast enough before destruction was flung at the target.

"With us there, you wouldn't need to worry about that. We have, what is it? Twelve exceptionally skilled trainers, all capable of going toe to toe with legendaries. After all, a number of us gave Ash Ketchum a run for his money and if the TV reports on Mount Silver were accurate, he did quite a job out there. I digress…in any case, wherever we would be stationed would no doubt be safe from harm _and_ we would be able to get to any nearby area that could be attacked in no time at all." Palmer sat back, looking pleased with how his speech had gone. Cynthia pursed her lips as she stared the two trainers down.

"You have yet to answer a vital question: why is it that you wish to join with the League?" Cynthia asked. "Would it not be better to freelance, and not be bound by any restrictions that the league has imposed. Not killing Pokemon for example."

"Each one of us has a bond with our own Pokemon that is not easily broken." Brandon answered her. "For this, killing a Pokemon would amount to killing our own. Besides, as you may well be aware, the Regis that attacked Mount Silver once belonged to me. That the bonds which once held us together would be shattered so easily indicates something very deep and foul must be afoot. These Pokemon are our responsibility to deal with. But we cannot deal with them without first knowing the populace is safe." Brandon's words rang throughout the hall before Palmer spoke.

"My son, Barry, is out there in this world and I have no idea if he's safe. So, the least I could do is make sure that the others are safe." Palmer stated succinctly. Cynthia chuckled a little.

"Barry is fine, Palmer. He recently fought in the Battle of Mount Silver. From what I surmise, he made it through no problem and is currently helping in the restoration." Cynthia said with a smile and Palmer let out a relieved sigh. Silence filled the room once again as everyone in the room thought on the responses given. "Should we agree to this proposal, what is it you need from us?"

"Merely a small number of troops to back up our presence in the cities and towns we would protect. That and the League standing behind us." Brandon answered. Cynthia nodded at the answer to her question. "We know that the League is the tying bond between all trainers in this time. That is why, if the people know that the League stands behind us, and we stand beside them, the people will understand the importance of the League." Cynthia shifted her gaze to her fellow champions. Steven gave a half-committed nod and Lance merely shrugged. President Goodshow made no movement to indicate his opinion. Cynthia smiled as she turned toward the two trainers.

"We accept your proposal. I hope we have no need of contracts to certify this position." Cynthia said.

"None whatsoever, our loyalties lie wholly and evermore with the League." Brandon said, his own smile on his face. "It may take us a few days to assemble our various groups but I hope you'll find this an advantageous relationship."

"I believe we will. I am sure Lance will lend you some of his G-Men?" Cynthia stated imploringly towards the red haired trainer. Lance only nodded. "Very well then, Steven if you could escort them to the G-Men, I'm sure they wish for their preparations to get underway." Steven didn't say a word as he walked out of the conference room with both Brandon and Palmer.

"You do know that we really should write a contract, right?" Lance said. "I mean, what if they do want to defect?"

"I think we need to show a certain amount of trust in this time." Cynthia said, effectively closing off the subject. Lance merely sat back until the doors slammed open, nearly causing him to fly out of his seat. Cynthia looked over at Steven who was wide-eyed.

"Cynthia, Lance, Mr. President…I think you need to see this." Steven said as he dashed out the door. Cynthia and Lance exchanged a look before the three remaining occupants bolted out of the room. When they finally caught up with Steven they saw that he was standing in front of a TV. As they came up to his side they understood immediately why Steven had called them. Koga was on the TV in a small picture.

"Turn the volume up." Cynthia snapped. Lance quickly obliged. The reporter's voice quickly came through the television set loud and clear.

"Just earlier today we received this tape at our studio doors and it has been authenticated." the reporter said. "The tape contains some…rather bold claims from Koga, formerly the gym leader of the Fuchsia City Gym in the Kanto region. Jim, if you will." The image of the reporter faded away to show Koga standing on a podium, as if addressing someone.

"The legendaries have shown today their willingness to go to any lengths to destroy humans." Koga boomed out and Cynthia's eyes narrowed at the screen. "It is for this reason that I believe we must do the same. However, the League does not approve of these sentiments and so, I and my fellow associated have split off from the League to form our own group. We will not tolerate these actions any long. We have lost lives, yes. We cannot bring them back. But what we can do is go forward, a bring vengeance upon them in the same way that that have brought it to us! We will not tolerate failure. We will not tolerate peace until every last legendary's body lies dead at our feet! We will oppose any who disagree. We will crush them beneath our feet like the fearful insects they are…all of them! The Chosen One, normal trainers, and the League alike. If you refuse to agree with our ideals you are our enemy. But know this, should you have any inkling of trust in our mission and goal; if you have lost any loved ones to these beasts, we will welcome you with open arms. All you need do…is find us."

With that, the message faded. Lance quickly turned the TV off, not needing to hear anymore. The four people in the room remained staring at the TV in awe and anger. Cynthia herself was not sure what to feel, even though the anger was coursing through her. So, this was the reason that Koga had left the League after all…to form a faction that was to be against them. Cynthia was all the more grateful she had made the alliance with the Battle Frontier. Still, she was shaking with suppressed rage at the footage she had just witnessed. Koga making a speech, avowing to destroy them, Lt. Surge, Bruno, Janine, indeed, the entire Kanto Elite Four as well as Sidney and Phoebe of Hoenn standing beside him. It was all the more proof of the danger the League now found itself in. Quickly, Cynthia turned to the president.

"Mr. President," Cynthia said and Goodshow looked at Cynthia, his eyes imploring her to go on. "I believe that the time is now right and necessary…for us to instate a draft."

"You can't be serious!" Lance yelled out and Cynthia's eyes flashed dangerously at him.

"I'm very serious. You saw that announcement." Cynthia snapped.

"But Cynthia, you do know what you are suggesting, right?" Steven said, his eyes practically pleading with her. Cynthia almost wanted to refuse the notion she was suggesting. But she knew she would have to persevere.

"Yes I do. Look, we are stretched thin as it were and now Koga just announced to the world that he wants to annihilate us. Do we know what his true intentions are once he's disposed of the legendaries? Will he simply dispose of us in the end?" Cynthia said, her voice now becoming louder. "We have no idea and so we need to take preventative action."

"But Cynthia…a draft? Really?" Lance said weakly. "Do you think people want to be forced into fighting a losing battle?"

"A losing battle? Is that all we've been fighting?" Cynthia said, her entire body radiating the anger she was feeling inside. "Gee, maybe we should just give up now and let all those people that are depending on us die. Is that what you want?"

"Cynthia's right…we knew it would come to this." Steven sighed out and Lance looked at him in surprise.

"Steven, you're agreeing with this?" Lance demanded. Steven scoffed slightly.

"What choices do we have open to us still, Lance?" Steven said. "Can we still pretend we're winning the war? So we won some battles, big deal…We lost more people than we could count. I don't agree with the idea of a draft but I understand its necessity in this time."

"Thank you…" Cynthia said quietly before turning to Lance. "Lance, I understand your grievances but is now really the time for us to begin fighting amongst ourselves? We're short on staff, we have another enemy coming at us and the three of us cannot hold this tide back for long."

"And what about Ash? Are we just gonna abandon hope that he's the Chosen One?" Lance yelled out, desperate to find a way to avoid this draft from being instated.

"Let's not be fools. We both know that Ash is still just a boy, he can't bear the entire world on his shoulders. He needs help and we need to give it to him." Lance looked from Steven to Cynthia before finally sighing in defeat.

"All right, I see your point. I don't agree with it…but…go ahead." Lance said and Cynthia turned to President Goodshow with a wry smile on her face.

"Mr. President?" she asked, awaiting his response to the situation. Goodshow sighed before slowly answering her question.

"Cynthia, I haven't been a real trainer in years. I'm far too old for that kind of thing." he told her, his eyes tired. "I cannot logically make decisions about a battle strategy or any other sort of thing. I suppose…the easiest way for me to say this is…I leave all executive power regarding this war to you Champions. Should you need to call any conferences or execute any kind of policy…it is all up to you now."

"Thank you, Mr. President, we will not fail you." Goodshow nodded before walking away from the three champions. When he had left the room, Lance angrily turned towards Cynthia.

"Please tell me that you'll at least have some kind of restrictions on this draft?" Lance said and Cynthia scoffed with displeasure.

"I'm still human Lance. I'm not going to send Mareep to the slaughter." Cynthia said. "No, only trainers fifteen and above who have earned at least six badges from one region will be drafted. Unfortunately, I will have to put your G-Men in charge of recruitment to keep them safe. Also, if any other trainer wishes to join…then we cannot stop them, but we can offer protection."

"I guess that's all we can do, huh?" Lance said harshly. Cynthia quickly put a hand on his shoulder.

"Please understand Lance. Please understand what I'm trying to do." Cynthia said, a small tear slipping from her eye. "I can't let any more people or Pokemon die on my watch." With that, she departed from the room to write up the documents pertaining to the draft.

-CT-

It was like stepping into a proverbial war zone the second they had entered the gym in Cerulean City. And the war zone was still strong, still going…and Brock and Ash were caught in the middle of it only a day later. They had arrived back in Cerulean only a day after they had left from Mount Silver. Thinking that something terrible had befallen the city they made their trip as fast as possible, even calling Gerald once again for a lift, much to Brock's chagrin. What they found was the sun setting on Cerulean just as it had every other day of the year. Nothing had happened. Misty immediately started boiling with rage, something that neither Ash nor Brock could stop as the fiery redhead herself started stomping off towards her gym. Ash and Brock followed, fearful for their own lives and those of her sisters.

The danger that Daisy had spoken about soon became clear…and it wasn't one that pleased anyone. Of course, with all the yelling, and dish throwing, Ash and Brock didn't manage to overhear the entire conversation between the sisters and were instead forced to retire to their room. The next morning they had awoken, the feeling in the house was no different. In fact it was worse. This had to do with, in part, the announcement blaring across the TV about a draft for all Pokemon trainers fifteen and older to fight in the war. Neither of the boys wanted to risk going into the kitchen.

"She's your girlfriend…so…better you brave it than me." Brock said, giving Ash a slight push towards the door that led into the kitchen.

"Some friend you are Brock…feeding me to the wolves like that." Ash said. "For all we know, she might think I'm Daisy for a moment and beat me with that invisible mallet of hers. Besides, we don't even know the full situation."

"So, has little information ever stopped you before?" Brock said. Ash tried to respond and Brock took that moment to quickly kick him into the kitchen. Ash froze when he saw Misty whip around to face him. Her eyes were red with anger and the vicious tears that had stung at them the night before.

"Morning Ash, want some breakfast?" Misty said, a little too happily.

"Er…umm…no? I mean, are you okay Misty?" Ash asked, stumbling over his own words. Misty's lips tightened into a thin line.

"Of course, right as rain! Why wouldn't I be?" Misty said with dangerous eyes, telling Ash to stop. Ash didn't listen.

"Uh…because last night you and Daisy kind of…"

"Ash…I'm going to warn you right now. If you mention that b-"

"Misty!" Ash yelled out and even Pikachu looked shocked from atop his shoulder.

"Well, she is! Coward wants to close down the gym." Misty said, finally giving into the exhaustion plaguing her body and collapsing into a chair. Ash sat down in a chair next to her and rubbed her back slightly to calm her down. Pikachu did the same.

"Is that what this whole thing is about?" Ash said. "Why does she want to close down the gym?"

"She says it's too dangerous to keep it open." Misty said with a huff and a flare of her nostrils. "I disagree. So I told her this gym is staying open as long as it still stands. I'm not letting it close because of the rising tide of chaos and destruction or whatever."

"What did she say to that?" Ash said, still trying to calm her down so that she wouldn't explode in an outburst again.

"Said that trainers weren't even traveling any more. I slapped her for that. Then she said that I was never home so it was her choice anyway and that she never wanted to keep the gym in the first place. That was when I started throwing things at her. She almost went on to insulting you and the whole Chosen One thing but I think I must have looked ready to kill because she stopped right away."

"So…she doesn't believe I'm the Chosen One?" Misty didn't respond to the query. "Do you?"

"Of course I do. I just…Daisy was right about one thing…" Misty said, burying her face in her hands. "It's dangerous out there. Dangerous for you…dangerous for me…Ash, I don't want to see you go off to die."

"I'm not gonna die Misty." Ash said with a confident smile. "I'm the Chosen One!"

"That's why they're all after you, idiot. Look, you got hurt pretty bad at Mount Silver, I'd say it was mere lucky chance that you survived."

"But I did survive!" Ash said, his cheeks puffing out slightly. Misty chuckled slightly at Ash's childish antics. Ash's voice lowered. "I'm not gonna die, Misty, okay. I can't. Too many people are depending on me. So don't worry." Ash drew Misty into a hug and she sank her head into his shoulder. It wasn't perfect, but it was safe. And at least Ash could make her feel safe and less upset, even if it were for just one moment.

**

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Author's Note: This is a chapter I have been building up to for a very long time. Koga's betrayal of the League was hinted at back in chapter 11 (12 on ), the Battle Frontier was in Chapter 13 and you also know the "danger" at the gym that was mentioned last chapter. Everything in this chapter is important. Was it quieter? Yes it was but the information contained was vital and will shape things for chapters to come. On that note, I believe that only one of you voted on my poll and so, starting two chapters from now, with Chapter 18 I will begin posting extra notes on my profile page about how I created that chapter. Also, I have a new poll regarding what I should call my universe. The choices are: Warverse, Auraverse, or Chosenverse. It's your choice. As another note, I may not update for some time (owing to Winter Break) but I WILL be working. In the meantime, REVIEW, and Dare to Be Silly.**


	18. Through Distorted Lenses

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Pokemon but at least Black and White's release day has been announced: March 6th, yeah!**

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Through Distorted Lenses

A few days of rest had done Ash's body good. In fact, it had done the entire trio resting at the Cerulean City Gym a great amount of good. All of them were feeling even more energized than they had before the war started, even at Shamouti. Ash, who had been paid a visit by the Cerulean Nurse Joy (resulting in several flirting attempts, Poison Jabs, and a disgruntled argument) was finally cleared the day before summer began to take off his bandage. His wound had at last been fully healed. Of course, Ash secretly disclosed to Misty that part of that was because he had been healing himself. Ash would've told Brock that but he wanted to keep his head a little longer from spiting Nurse Joy.

The situation within the household had calmed down, at least from how it was a few days ago. The air was still tense between Misty and Daisy but as neither sister had made mention of the argument between the two, no one felt they were in any peril of losing a part of their anatomy any time soon. To that end, the three of them, including Pikachu, were at last able to relax. Even the new reports seemed to be turning towards a brighter future. Despite the draft that had been stated days ago, many people were willing to join the war effort and were flocking to the League in droves. However, Cynthia did make the statement that many more were needed if they were to truly be prepared. Koga's betrayal, which had been blasted across the news the day Ash had arrived in Cerulean wasn't touched upon for that whole week leading Ash to believe that Koga was all talk and no substance. Furthermore, the battle in Sootopolis had been said to have ended in success and the body count was just being totaled. The legendaries had not struck again since that day.

All of these positive moments found Ash, Misty and Brock sitting around the kitchen table eating a fresh and home cooked lunch in the early afternoon. Pikachu was on the table himself, trying to force a ketchup bottle open. Ash and Brock were talking about pokemon health and how regular wild pokemon might be faring because of the war while Misty listened thoughtfully.

"Trainers still need to take care of their pokemon in this time. That's why I think Nurse Joys really need to be at the top of their game if they go out there." Ash said with a slight frown on his face. "What will happen to a pokemon that's come to depend on their trainer and what'll happen to a trainer that can't help their pokemon. It's a two way street."

"To that I'd have to agree. Not to bring up a sore subject or anything but Pikachu was extremely affected in those months he thought you were dead." Brock stated, sipping his glass of water down. "You were probably fine because you knew that Pikachu was safe and sound."

"Good point." Ash said. He tapped his finger on his chin for a moment, as if deep in thought. "You know, now that I think about it, I wonder where Dawn and the others are. I mean, they went to Sootopolis and I'm sure we would've been informed by now if they were killed. So I wonder how they're doing."

"I'm sure they're fine. The three of them are a tough batch." Brock said with a smirk on his face. Misty quickly cleared her throat and sat up.

"Speaking of Dawn, did she seem…different to you guys at all those last days before the battles?" Misty asked and Ash shook his head in bewilderment but Brock inclined his head thoughtfully.

"Well, now that you mention it, she did seem pretty preoccupied and upset." Brock stated. "You don't think…Oh, boy…"

"What? What's going on?" Ash asked, whipping his head from Brock to Misty, trying to understand what the two of them were saying. Brock let out a sigh.

"Dawn is upset because the two of you are dating." Brock said with finality.

"That's what I thought." Misty said, exhaling as she deflated into her chair. "I don't like seeing a friend so upset, especially if it's something I caused."

"Misty, it was one way or the other. If Ash had chosen Dawn you would have been in her position." Brock told her and she couldn't help but agree with that statement. "As long as she doesn't do anything rash."

"I never saw anything of those sorts of feelings from Dawn…" Ash said, still completely confused at the drama unfolding before him.

"You wouldn't." Misty said scathingly. "Ash, it took you eight years to notice I was actually someone you could go out with and have a relationship. So for Dawn you'd still need another four years to even notice her feelings towards you." Misty let out a sigh. "How many years? And you're still as dense as a stone wall." At this both she and Brock suddenly started laughing and Ash's eyes narrowed in their directions.

"Hey, come on now, that's not very nice." Ash complained as he noticed Pikachu was rolling around on the table with laughter. "Oh come on, Pikachu, not you too?" None of them stopped and Ash just frowned as he picked up his cup and plate and brought it over to the sink. He quickly dumped them in.

_Ash, come to Lavender Town tonight. Meet me in the Pokemon Tower…alone._ Ash's body froze completely and he heard the laughter behind him finish tinkling off. There was silence in the room for a moment as the other three occupants realized Ash wasn't moving.

"Pikapi?" Pikachu called out and Ash bowed his head slightly. He then turned to his friends.

"So…who wants to go on a quick trip to Lavender Town?"

-CT-

The sun was starting to set as the four of them reached Lavender Town. Even though Ash knew he would have to meet Arceus alone, he felt it couldn't hurt to have his two best friends waiting outside, should anything happen. Misty quickly snuck into the garage and stole Daisy's prize car. She knew she had some knowledge of driving and figured Daisy wouldn't mind the few hour excursion they were taking (though in reality she just wanted to spite her sister). Neither of them had asked Ash why he had a desire to go to Lavender Town. Thankfully they got there in record time, after all, they had never traveled by car before. So it was that by early evening they had arrived in Lavender Town. They parked by the nearby pokemon center.

"So, where are we going?" Misty said, slight worry apparent in her voice. Ash said nothing to calm it as he walked towards the Pokemon Tower with determination set in his face. Brock, Misty and Pikachu decided to follow. It wasn't long before they had reached their destination…or at least, where Ash had remembered their destination being.

"Where's the Pokemon Tower?" Ash asked, stopping short suddenly. Misty gave a giggle behind him.

"This _is_ the Pokemon Tower." Misty said with a smile. "A few years back, I think it was two, some guy bought up the tower, added a whole extra floor, refurbished and expanded it. Of course, he left a few months later and hasn't been seen since. Rumor has it that he did it for the ghost pokemon living there." Ash nodded. He quickly bent down and looked at Pikachu.

"Take care of them." Ash said before turning around and walking towards the tower.

"Ash!" Misty called out after him. She almost tried stepping forward but Ash held up his hand as if to stop her.

"I need to do this alone. Just trust me." Ash said. He turned around slightly. "Keep watch for me, okay? Just…patrol the tower." He smiled at them before walking away from them. He quickly pushed open the heavy doors that led into the tower and stepped into the dusty room. He coughed a little as he walked inside and the doors slammed shut behind him. Ash didn't glance back at all as he looked around. A light was filtering down from the upper floors of the tower. Ash took steps towards the stairs and began to hear the murmur of voices also coming from up above. Deciding that was where he needed to be, Ash began his ascent. As he got closer he could make out pieces of the conversation taking place.

"…Must make sure that this place is not invaded by hostile forces as much as possible until I return. I don't believe that any Pokemon would but, just to be safe." Ash recognized the voice saying this to be Arceus' voice.

_Yes sir!_ Two voices, unfamiliar to Ash's ears, responded to the Pokemon. Ash finally entered the room and all three of the Pokemon there turned to look at him.

"Gastly! Gengar!" Ash said in surprise as the two Pokemon cried out loudly and began floating happily around Ash's head.

_Ash! How's Haunter?_ Gastly asked proudly and Ash chuckled.

"He never visits? I left him with Sabrina." Ash said before turning to Arceus.

"I see you got my message. And I would also believe that Dialga gave my earlier message else you would not have gotten here so quickly." Arceus said, a small smile slashing through his eyes. Ash smiled back before his face fell.

"So, you finally decided to send them to help out?" Ash said with a slight smirk and Arceus nodded his head.

"Indeed…I decided that it was in our best interest. Not to mention it truly looked like you needed help." Arceus said, turning to face the glass doors that led to an outer balcony. "I would assume that most things are positive from your front?"

"Mostly. The League is rounding up people to fight and we won in both Mt. Silver and Sootopolis. The only downside is that Koga, a former gym leader here in Kanto, claimed that he's now against the League so…that's not the greatest." Ash scratched his head, chuckling softly under his breath. "What about on your guys' end?"

"Good news there as well. Cresselia has agreed at long last to join our forces. With both her and Darkrai on our side we have the essential opposites there…highly useful." Arceus said and Ash nodded before folding his arms and fixing Arceus with a stare. Neither spoke for the moment. "Your friends are outside, aren't they?"

"Don't worry, they won't come in. But I kind of needed a ride here." Ash said with a sharp glare directed at Arceus.

"I believe you. Which, on that note, what do you think of the tower?" Arceus asked lightly. Ash frowned slightly.

"Brighter and taller than it used to be…but what does that matter? Why did you call me here in the first place? And what were you talking to Gastly and Gengar about?" Ash asked in a quick succession of questions.

"My, so many questions Ash…though I suppose we _should_ get down to business." Arceus said, turning back towards Ash. "The reason I wanted you to come alone is twofold. For one, despite our forces now aiding the humans freely, I do not yet wish to have my existence discovered. For a second thing, tonight's mission is vital. Gastly and Gengar will serve as sentinels, guarding the Pokemon Tower while we are gone. This is their home after all."

"So we're not staying here? Where are we going?" Arceus inclined his head slightly towards Ash as he answered his questions.

"The Tree of Beginning. However, in case some of the enemy's forces decide to pay this tower a visit, we need to throw them off our track. We'll be taking the Spring Path in Sinnoh. Giratina has opened a portal to the Reverse World which we will use to find our way to the Tree of Beginning. As for what we will be doing there, I will divulge that to you upon our arrival."

"All right. Now, what about the Regis?" Ash asked. "Don't know if you noticed, but at the Mount Silver they kind of tried to kill me."

"Different Regis. Those Regis once belonged to a human. These Regis remain at the Tree, taking no sides, only performing their duty to keep the tree safe. You'll need to be vigilant. Mew is gone from the tree at this time. He cannot protect you." Arceus said. His eyes grew cold suddenly and he stared straight into Ash's own. "Now Ash, this is going to be very dangerous. If you want to survive, and I certainly hope you do, you must stay by me and listen to everything I say. Understand?"

"Yeah." Ash said with a short nod.

"Do you promise to obey me then?" Arceus asked and Ash's nose crinkled up.

"If I don't?"

"Ash!"

"Okay, okay. I promise." Ash said, throwing his hands in the air. Arceus nodded curtly.

"Very well then. Get on." Arceus said, and Ash quickly clambered on to the Pokemon's back. "Hold on tight." A dark portal suddenly appeared before the two of them and they quickly shot through it. Ash was disoriented for a moment, having never been in the space that was Arceus' own dimension. Arceus kept sailing straight through the unfathomable fire and flame that was in front of him and Ash feared for a moment that he would get hurt in this strange space. However, nothing did hurt him. Whether it was from the aura, or if it was because Arceus was protecting him, Ash wasn't sure. All he knew was that he was glad the moment the two of them emerged outside of the dimension.

A sudden wind buffeted the two of them as they emerged on top of a rock face that surrounded a large lake. Ash put his hand on his hat to prevent the article from blowing off. The lake's waters churned and foamed and as Ash peered below them he could make out the faint carving of an opening into the rock. Ash quickly got off of Arceus' back and peered over the rock ledge once more.

"The forgotten lake of Sinnoh, Spring Path. Giratina used to rest here…the only place in the world that I allowed him to go freely before I went to my own dimension to heal. The constant storm here is a result of that. Come, our destination is that cave there." Arceus said and Asg began climbing down the rock face silently. Arceus floated along beside him as Ash climbed. Soon, Ash's feet touched the wet grass and the two quickly made their way into the cave. Sitting there was a swirling portal that looked quite familiar to Ash. The two moved forward and entered the portal with deliberation, quickly emerging into the Reverse World.

"Where to?" Ash asked, looking around the bizarre world he had seen but few times before.

"On the other side of that bridge." Arceus told him. "Traveling in the Reverse World takes relatively less time from place to place. Come, let us go." With that, the two began their trek. After the terrain switched and the both of them were walking upside down, Ash noticed the purple miasma that was swirling around the world.

"This place looks even worse than the last time I was here." Ash said with a sad face. Arceus' eyes were hidden behind their own veil of sadness as he answered the young trainer.

"That is what war does." Arceus' tone was defeated as he went on. "I now know how cruel I was towards Giratina's allotment. Any strife caused by the world…created this. And Giratina was forced to live in it. I can only hope, that when the fighting is over, that we can all rebuild this world together. Terrain shift." Ash leapt forward at Arceus' words and twisted his body to land feet first. All that was now left before them was a long bridge. Ash started walking silently, Arceus still at his side. At the breaks in the road Ash used the Reverse World's special properties to leap over them. At last the two arrived at the portal to the other side. "You first, Ash."

Ash obliged Arceus and stepped through. He was assailed with a barrage of sunlight that streamed in to the Tree of Beginning. Arceus entered the tree behind him and the portal closed once he was clear of it. Ash took a look around the large rock formation. It was silent. It was almost as if all the Pokemon that had once lived here were now hiding away.

"It's quiet." Ash commented and Arceus nodded.

"I would assume that for these Pokemon, who have lived peacefully all their lives, the idea of war would cause them to be fearful when an unknown entity enters their midst." Arceus said. "We strive for the center now Ash, where Sir Aaron once lay all those years ago before I brought him back. Come." Arceus began floating ahead of Ash and Ash followed him silently. Wind blew through the Tree but neither of them paid any mind to it and soon they had turned into a cavern.

"Which way now?" Ash asked and Arceus closed his eyes a moment.

"This cavern should take us straight to the center. At the second fork, turn right and then turn left at the third fork after that. That should get us there quickly enough." Arceus answered and Ash gave a thumbs up to indicate his understanding. The two began their march forward. However, after a few steps Ash suddenly stopped, and Arceus along with him. "You sense something?"

"Yeah…" Ash breathed out quietly. Ash closed his eyes a moment, centering in on his aura. Suddenly his eyes snapped open and Ash whipped around, sending an Aura Sphere crashing through an orange shape. "Not these again!"

"Ash, run! Get to the center, I will fend them off." Arceus yelled.

"But-" Ash yelled and Arceus glared sharply at him.

"I will be fine. I am a Pokemon. But you are human, they see you only as a threat. GO!" Ash grimaced but quickly turned around. He quickly passed by the first fork. As he rushed past it more orange shapes came flying out of it. Ash quickly side stepped them before sending a stream of Aura Spheres at them. Ash looked up, skidding to a halt in front of the second fork. He turned into quickly. An orange glob appeared in front of him now and Ash quickly summoned his sword to his hands, cutting through it. More shapes were materializing and Ash quickly stabbed his sword into the ground. Shockwaves went arcing off of it, splitting through any shape that was attempting to hurt him. Without even bothering to pull his sword out again, Ash started a mad dash down the cavern. One fork, two fork. As he neared the third fork, yet another shape appeared in the guise of an Aerodactyl, its mouth open wide.

"Outta my way!" Ash yelled, his hand brimming with the power of Aura as he slammed his fist through the creature. With that, Ash turned and ran headlong through the cavern until at last he reached the central room, a pale blue shining from all the crystals surrounding the area. Ash rotated around, seeing that multiple shapes were now planning on converging in the room. Ash put his hands out and shields suddenly erected themselves around the area. The shapes bombarded the shield with attacks and Ash kept trying to hold on. A crack appeared in the shields and soon after, they shattered, Ash collapsing on to one knee as the orange shapes came towards him.

They barely entered the room when large streams of light struck all of them, destroying them on impact. A flaming shield was also erected on all of the caverns leading into the room. In the next moment, Arceus emerged from his own portal and gazed upon Ash who was slowly regaining his breath.

"Glad I made it on time. Are you all right Ash?" Arceus asked. Unable to speak due to his throat being so dry, he merely nodded. "Good." Silence passed between the two of them for a moment. Ash finally regained his energy and stood up. He coughed slightly, to get the dryness out.

"So, we're here. Why?" Ash asked and Arceus nodded at him.

"I am removing the Jewel of Life from myself. However, this time, instead of just five plates I am removing all sixteen life plates." Arceus answered him.

"What? Why? I don't understand, wouldn't that just weaken you?" Ash said and Arceus gave a half-nod.

"This is true. Although, I rarely participate in battle. Still, the alternative is much less appealing. Say the enemy were to capture me. There is no doubt they know of the existence of my life plates and would attempt to extract them. The process would not only kill me but would also give them the Jewel of Life…and too much of an advantage."

"So you're taking the Jewel of Life from your body and putting here?" Ash said, trying to make sure that he comprehended the situation fully.

"Not here. The Tree of Beginning is practically the life blood for the world. You no doubt have realized that nearly every region has a defining feature, correct? Mount Coronet in Sinnoh, Mount Silver, Mount Pyre, and the Tree of Beginning is here in Kanto. These locations are practically connected and are the offshoot to any location in the country. By placing the Jewel of Life here, it will transfer to an unknown location that only I will know."

"You won't tell me?" Ash said with a smile and a chuckle. Arceus gave his own chuckle in response.

"Were the enemy to capture you, you won't be able to tell them anything if I don't tell you." Ash nodded at Arceus' logic.

"One question through: why do you need me here? This seems like something you can do on your own…" Ash folded his arms at his statement and Arceus, once more, chuckled.

"True. However, when I remove the Jewel of Life from my body, I will be overcome with weakness. Therefore, I will need you to place it in the center of the tree for me." Arceus responded. Ash's lips tightened.

"Why couldn't Mew do this? It would have been safer." Ash said and Arceus merely emitted a sigh.

"He is busy protecting Shamouti. Now, are you ready?"

"Yeah, sure…" Ash said with a frown. Arceus closed his eyes and Ash watched as sixteen differently colored plates flew out of the Alpha Pokemon's body. All of them swirled around his figure until at last they all converged at a single point. A bright light shone forth and Ash covered his eyes. When the light had receded, Ash looked and saw the green, yellow, and black Jewel of Life floating there, suspended in the air. Ash took a tentative step forward. Arceus' eyes were still closed and his head slumped forward slightly. "Arceus?"

"Ash…" the Pokemon breathed out in a raspy voice. "Take the Jewel…put it in the tree…please…" Ash nodded and grabbed the Jewel. For a moment Ash felt a warm light flow through his body. But as soon as it was there, Ash figured he must have imagined it…either that or taking the Jewel of Life was just a warm thing. Ash took a deep breath and walked forward until he reached the core of the Tree of Beginning, twinkling brightly. Ash extended his hand and put the Jewel in the Tree. It was readily accepted and the Jewel disappeared into the core. Smirking to himself, Ash walked back to where Arceus was, still regaining his strength.

"All done." Arceus didn't respond but Ash continued smiling. Until he sensed something off. Ash turned around and saw more orange blobs emerging from the branching caverns. Ash smacked himself on the head. He should have realized that with Arceus' strength depleted that the shield would have dropped. With a quick movement he sent an Aura Sphere at the encroaching life form. However, as soon as that one dropped, another one cropped up in its place. Ash summoned his sword to his hand. "Hope you wake up soon Arceus…gonna need some help here."

Ash slashed forward with his sword and cut through the blob. Two more came at him from his sides. Ash spun around, whipping Aura Spheres at the both of them. They dispersed only to be replaced by two more. Ash summoned energy into his sword and spun around, the arc of aura sailing through the offending creatures. But no matter what Ash did, even more appeared, and they were moving ever closer. Ash decided to abandon his sword and started to just continually shoot aura spheres at the creatures. It worked well, to a point. One suddenly grabbed Ash's leg and he sent an Aura Sphere at it, just as another one latched on to him. Ash kept firing Aura Spheres off, but to no avail.

"Get off me! Get off!" Ash yelled, firing more an more spheres at his opponent. The blobs now were covering almost his entire lower half. One split from the massive group and suddenly latched onto Ash's head. Surprised by the sudden cutoff of air supply, Ash tripped and fell backward, still attempting to shoot out Aura Spheres. The shapes began to cover him and Ash reached his hand out toward the non-responsive Arceus. The blobs attached themselves to that and started dragging him down.

Ash was going to die alone.

**

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**

Author's Note: CLIFFHANGER! What will happen to Ash? Well, I know, but I won't tell. Ah, how I've waited to write this chapter. This chapter nearly finishes setting the stage for events to come. You might not see how yet, but you will. Also, before I get any flak for it: yes, Dawn

_**is**_** jealous of Misty. However, I don't think this will play out the way you expect, trust me. I don't want to deal with love triangles…blegh. Now, on another note: what happened? All my reviewers practically vanished. I used to get 7 reviews a chapter an now I get like four. I miss you, come back. I love hearing feedback! Now, while you wait so anxiously for the next chapter (yet another that I'm excited to write) please REVIEW! And always, Dare to be Silly.**


	19. Ode to the Dying God

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pokemon. I own this chapter.**

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Ode to the Dying God

Ash had been close to the brink of death enough times to know what it felt like when someone was going to die. He knew the kinds of feelings that flowed through their heart and pierced into their spirit. And fear wasn't one of them. No, fear usually came when the damage was said and done. When the person knew, deep down, they _were_ going to die. That nothing could be done to change it. That was why quick deaths were preferable; that way they didn't have to think about just how meaningless their life had been up to that point. But regardless of whatever feelings permeated a dying person, Ash tried to block them all out whenever he threw himself into whatever danger was placed in front of him.

When Ash had confronted Mewtwo and Mew, and had been turned to stone, he held no fear. He held only anguish for the two combatants that were prepared to kill each other. But whatever the case was, he held no feelings towards himself. In his mind, and his now understanding perspective, feelings were for those who were forced to watch it happen. A dying man couldn't have feelings. A dying man couldn't feel remorse for what he'd done, couldn't take pride in his accomplishments, couldn't say goodbye rightfully like he should have. In essence, a dying man couldn't act as if he were alive. Because alive meant feeling, and death meant nothing. And that was why Ash couldn't feel anything as he went in to die…because somehow, that was the only way to survive.

And so, Ash couldn't understand why fear was gripping his heart. He had never had such fear. But as the orange blobs surrounding him enclosed over his figure Ash couldn't help the rush of emotion circulating throughout his system. This wasn't right. It was downright wrong. He wasn't supposed to die here. He was supposed to live. He was the Chosen One! Ash tried bringing his hand up, reaching towards the glowing blue ceiling of the Tree of Beginning. Memories flashed through his entire head. Memories of his friends circulated through him. Brock, Misty, and Barry all battling at Mount Silver. Dawn's anguished face the night he had had supposedly died. May and Max's expression when he entered the room after the defense at Cinnabar failed. Gary's smug face when Ash came back to Pallet. His mother smothering him. Pikachu laughing back at the Cerulean gym. And then there was Paul, his sneering face staring right at Ash.

_"You're pathetic. You can't even live."_ the imaginary Paul said in his head. Ash's teeth gritted against each other, a wave of anger washing over him. _"Chosen One? Please…you're more like the Chosen Dud! You should have just gone home to mommy. Or maybe you should have just stayed dead after that fiasco at Mount Coronet."_ Ash was shaking with anger, his hand continuing to reach upwards, a blue glow now surrounding it.

"I'm not going to die!" Ash yelled as a blue shockwave rippled across his entire body. The orange blobs covering him were suddenly exploded into a thousand pieces, freeing Ash from their deadly embrace. Ash collapsed onto one knee. Using aura like that had tuckered him out a bit more than he had expected. More orange blobs appeared and Ash grimaced. He tried standing up a moment but found that he couldn't. Suddenly there was a golden glow and in an instant, projectiles fell from the ceiling and obliterated all of the blobs. The shields that had been up before Arceus was drained snapped back into place. Without the fear of being obliterated once again, Ash looked up.

"Are you all right, Ash?" Arceus asked of the young trainer. Ash gave a fleeting smile as he stood up. He sniffled in his nose and coughed a little from the unpleasant feeling it had brought him.

"I think the better question is whether you're all right…" Ash said quietly and Arceus' eyes shone kindly.

"Quite well actually. My strength is back up to a hundred percent, given, of course, that I have had a massive takeaway thanks to the Jewel of Life." Arceus said with a slight nod of his head. Ash frowned slightly and crossed his arms.

"You could have told me that the shields were going to drop." Ash spat out and Arceus sighed slightly.

"Had I known they would, I would have informed you, Ash." Arceus said somberly. Ash shook his head. By this point, his strength had more or less returned to him. He gave a small chuckle.

"It's okay." Ash said with a thumbs up. "No harm, no foul. So then, mission accomplished?" Ash's smile was hopeful that they could get out of that place. Arceus laughed himself before nodding.

"Get on Ash." Arceus said and Ash quickly clambered onto the Pokemon's back.

"So, do we have to go back through the Reverse World?" Ash asked and Arceus quickly shook his head.

"The way back is much more straightforward. To Pokemon Tower!" Arceus cried and in an instant they had once more entered Arceus' own dimension. Knowing that the mission was done, Ash found he could marvel at the strange intricacies of the Alpha Pokemon's own dimension.

"Hey Arceus, random question. Did you actually use part of your own dimension here to create our world?" Arceus remained silent a moment, contemplating how best to phrase the answer to Ash's question.

"Yes and no. I originally used it as a building block, kind of like a schematic for your world before I created Dialga and Palkia and the Lake Trio. We took it a little further from there to make the world. After your world was structured, I took the piece that contained my dimension out. This distortion, as it were, gave rise to the Reverse World."

"Interesting." Ash mused and Arceus chuckled. Suddenly a bright light shone and the two were catapulted back into the room that they had come from but an hour earlier. Ash quickly hopped off of Arceus and glanced outside. It was a deep and dark nighttime though there was some faint glow in the horizon.

"Not even midnight." Arceus sighed out and Ash backed away from the window. "The sun's still setting."

"Hey, we made pretty good time then, huh?" Ash asked with a bright smile adorning his face. Arceus nodded.

"Ash, I can't thank you enough for what you did tonight." Arceus told him and Ash simply waved it off. "I think we may finally be getting somewhere in this war, you know."

"Well, we should know soon, right?" Ash said and Arceus nodded confidently. There was a small silence between them for a moment. The room shook and the lights rattled. Ash's smile was replaced with a very confused glance. The room shook again and there was a subsequent boom. Ash leapt backwards as the bright chandelier in the room crashed to the floor. They were drowned in darkness.

"Ash, hide, quickly! And make no sound!" Arceus ordered. Ash was ready to protest. "You need to survive. Do it!" Ash growled slightly and scanned around the room, his eyes adjusting to the darkness. He noticed a dresser that had been moved in the quaking and he quickly darted behind it. It was enough to hide him, and, hopefully, enough to not make it seem conspicuous. Ash positioned himself behind the dresser and could see Arceus waiting near the doorway to the balcony. He also had a clear view of the door leading into the room. Arceus' gaze shifted slightly onto him, his eyes conveying a secret message. Ash gulped slightly and nodded. The door slammed open.

Ash clenched his teeth as he saw four imposing figures enter into the room. The first was perhaps the most recognizable, being that of Deoxys, lithe and practically snakelike. The other three hulking forms behind Deoxys were a little harder to discern but Ash soon noticed them to be those of the Regis, without Regigigas. They stopped as they looked at Arceus, and Arceus peered down at them.

"Well, well, how unexpected that you fine legendaries should pay me a visit." Arceus said sneeringly. "I would suppose Palkia sensed the disturbance in the spatial rift and figured I was on the move before tracing it back here." The legendaries only stood there and laughed.

_What an amazing deduction…_ Deoxys said with venom in its voice. _But no. We have other, far easier ways of detecting your movements._

"Oh, really? And what would those be?" Arceus asked, sounding genuinely interested in what Deoxys was saying.

_Oh cut the act. You know that we have no intention of telling you how we know your movements._ Regirock boomed before the other two Regis in its company laughed loudly. Arceus shook his head.

"No…I suppose you don't. Then again. What are you here for? I would imagine it was something important." Arceus said and Ash figured that if Arceus had a mouth, he would be smirking right now.

_Oh, let's get it done now!_ Regice said, holding its arm out towards Arceus before Registeel's own hand shot out and dragged it down. _What do you think you're doing Registeel? You know what you're here for!_

_Let's not rush into this. Regigigas wouldn't be too happy. And you know we can't defy the master._ Registeel answered the Iceberg Pokemon.

"Oh, a master? Now this is a new development. I don't suppose you'd mind divulging that little secret." Arceus said before Registeel laughed loudly. The booming sound grating at Ash's ears and shaking the furniture in the room.

_You really think we're fools, don't you? The Great Arceus…the Original One…how many names have you been given now? And how many of them are just a cover for how weak you really are?_ Registeel stepped forward, each step shaking the house heavily. _Without that Jewel of Life you'd be nothing!_

"So…this is about the Jewel of Life then?" Arceus said, his tone suddenly serious. Ash's face tightened into a grimace and he began summoning an Aura Sphere in his hand. A quick flit of Arceus' eyes however made him stop. The glow receded.

_Stop stalling Arceus; we won't buy your little tricks._ Deoxys said, also taking a step forward. _You think that just because you are the father of all Pokemon that it makes us less intelligent than you? Hmmm, does it? Have you ever thought that the master was simply Regigigas? Honestly, Arceus where do you come off being more intelligent than the rest of us?_

_Easy, Deoxys…_Regirock warned before Arceus let out a light chuckle.

"Well, if I am looked down upon as unintelligent, then humans must be considered the dirt beneath your feet." Arceus stated quietly.

_Lower than dirt, actually…_Regice responded and Arceus peered intently at it. _They take from our world, a world where Pokemon existed before anything else and then they assume we will serve them! What fallacy?_

"Did you not once serve a human?" Arceus asked and the three Regis laughed.

_What of you? Didn't you hate them?_

"Ahh, yes, I did. A hatred that only begot suffering. I have since learned that there are far worse things that exacting revenge." Arceus stated, his eyes glinting malevolently at the other Pokemon. Registeel laughed in response to this.

_I think it's time. You are alone, right Arceus?_ Registeel asked. Arceus merely narrowed his eyes and the four Pokemon in the room gave another bone jarring laugh. Ash was feeling his heart start to beat at an accelerated rate. _That's all the answer we need. I think I'll do the honors._

_Now why should we allow _you _to receive the honors?_ Deoxys complained and Registeel turned towards Deoxys.

_Deoxys has a fair point. Each one of us deserves the glory, so why you?_ Regice demanded and Registeel growled angrily.

_I was given authority to run this mission, was I not? Therefore the honor is mine!_ Registeel responded before Regirock also walked forward.

_That's not fair, Registeel!_

"Stop arguing!" cut in a cool and calm fifth voice. Ash's breath hitched in his throat as he heard it. He recognized the voice. Seconds later, Mewtwo ascended the steps. He peered around the room at the other Pokemon there. Ash looked to Arceus and saw the Alpha Pokemon's eyes to be unchanging. Deoxys and the Regis turned to Mewtwo.

_Ah, Mewtwo. Why don't we allow you to do it? This is, after all, your plan, is it not?_ Deoxys said with a simpering tone.

_Yes, why not Mewtwo? Perform your duty._ Registeel responded, its body relaxing. Silence stretched in the room as Mewtwo walked forward. Arceus' eyes brightened for a second.

"Yes _Mewtwo_, why don't you perform your duty?" Arceus said in an almost mocking tone. Mewtwo gazed straight into Arceus' eyes.

"Silence." In the blink of a moment, Mewtwo's hand was outstretched and an Aura Sphere of great intensity flew from it, striking Arceus in the chest. Arceus and Mewtwo seemed connected by a gold chain for a moment before the force of the sphere embedded itself in Arceus. Arceus crashed through the balcony doors suddenly and flew out of the tower, suddenly plummeting to the ground below.

"NO!" Ash yelled loudly, though his protest was drowned by the Pokemon laughing in the room. Registeel lowered its body and shot a sudden Flash Cannon through the floor. Not a moment later, the five Pokemon had filed through the hold in the floor. Seething with anger, Ash blasted the dresser aside with aura and ran straight for the stairs. With an inhuman speed he rushed down the steps, his eyes briefly catching sight of Gastly and Gengar knocked out on the steps. He didn't check to see if they were dead or not, his mind only focused on one target. With a sudden blast of aura he broke the door to the Pokemon Tower off its hinges and dashed outside. The nearest houses were in flames and the people in town were running for their lives. Regirock's laugh could be heard. Ash kept running and soon caught sight of his quarry.

"MEWTWO!" Ash yelled in anger and all five of the legendaries turned to face him. "Come back, you coward!" Ash suddenly flung an Aura Sphere off at Mewtwo. Mewtwo raised its hand and blocked the attack. Registeel stepped forward and sent a Flash Cannon at Ash. Ash threw up a shield but the shield broke and Ash flew backwards.

"Do not attack him! Get to Palkia's portal!" Mewtwo ordered.

_And why not? He's the Chosen One!_ Registeel demanded.

"We have orders not to harm him. Now get to the portal. I will deal with him." Mewtwo said. Registeel seemed to debate with itself before nodding and running off with the others. "Waste no more time on the humans!" No more debate was heard as Mewtwo turned towards Ash, who had now gotten up. Ash flung another Aura Sphere at him. Mewtwo easily blocked it.

"You traitor! We trusted you! I trusted you!" Ash said, yet another sphere flying at the Pokemon. "We showed you kindness and _this_ is how you repay us?" Yet another sphere, and yet another block. "Aren't you going to fight back? Come on! Fight back! Or are you too much of a coward to even do that?" Mewtwo's eyes glinted dangerously. Ash sent another Aura Sphere at Mewtwo just as Mewtwo responded with his own. The two spheres met in midair and caused a small vortex in the air around them. It nearly blew the two off their feet but they managed to stand tall. Ash sent another sphere at Mewtwo who deftly shielded himself from the blow before firing his own. The attack nailed Ash in the chest and sent him sprawling on the ground. Heaving with effort, Ash propped himself on his elbows before Mewtwo came close.

"So…are you going to kill me in cold blood, too? Just like you killed Arceus?" Ash heaved out, the anger seeping into his tone. Mewtwo looked on Ash with something akin to pity.

"No…" Mewtwo answered and Ash's facial features softened slightly. "Because of what you taught me seven years ago." With those words Mewtwo whipped around and suddenly shot into the sky. Ash lay there, silent and unmoving, only the sound of the crackling flames filling his ears. Then he remembered Arceus and shot up. All fatigue draining away from his body he quickly ran around the base of the tower. A small group of people were there, villagers from Lavender Town. Ash caught sight of the familiar brown and red haired heads but he ignored them as he approached the body.

Arceus was laying there, silent, unmoving. There was a small black mark where the Aura Sphere designed to kill had struck the Pokemon. In Ash's mind, as he looked upon Arceus' body, he saw nothing but a fallen and pitiful figure, sprawled out on the dirt. It could almost have been as if he were sleeping, if Arceus indeed ever slept. Ash collapsed at the body, falling onto his knees. He couldn't think of anything. A clamor arose from the townspeople as a soft voice began to sing. And yet, not a single person was singing.

_Close your eyes_

_Go to sleep_

_Wish your way_

_To the world of dreams_

The tears began to come down Ash's face as sobs racked his body. He couldn't handle it. The Pokemon that had saved his life once before. The one who he had worked so hard to save was now dead. Ash punched at the ground. If only he hadn't agreed to removing the Jewel of Life. Ash felt a pair of hands on his shoulders. He didn't look, even though he knew them to be Misty's.

_Night will come_

_Sun will fall_

_Day will fade_

_Hearts held in thrall_

_Time moves forward_

_Marching on_

_As the world sings an ode_

_To the dying god_

Small noises were heard around the tower. Through Ash's tear stained vision he saw various Pokemon of every type and breed suddenly gathering around the fallen Pokemon. The Pokemon that had created the world. The one who had guided them through their hardest times. Clouds began to stir overhead, blotting out the stars that once dotted the then clear sky. The sun had already gone completely.

_Pain will pass_

_But shadows will stay_

_As the world cries_

_On its dying day_

_Close your eyes_

_Go to sleep_

_Fight your way_

_To the world of dreams_

Ash understood, even as slight hysteria began to take over. The world was crying, singing its own eulogy to the fallen Pokemon before him. With a small movement, Ash brought his hand into the air and fired an Aura Sphere into the sky. The blue tint spread through the sky, sending a message to everyone. The black haired aura user at the Embedded Tower knew as he saw the sight. News reporters began flocking to their cameras. A purple haired trainer watched the TV at the sight. A reunited trio nodded to each other in conviction, convinced at what they needed to do. But Ash, Ash merely felt his body collapsing onto the Pokemon below him.

_Light the sky_

_And dry your eyes_

_Accept your fate_

_Ere the moon will rise_

_Let it fade_

_Fade away_

_Pray for hope_

_On this dying day_

_Close your eyes_

_Go to sleep_

_Wake yourself_

_To the world of dreams_

Ash's sobs took him over. And despite Misty's tight hold on him, he collapsed onto Arceus, fatigue and sorrow taking him at long last.

_Close your eyes_

_Go to sleep_

_Cry yourself_

_To the world of dreams_

-CT-

The waves, clear as crystal, lapped up against the shore continually. They kept beating against the cliff face, as relentless as the day they were created. Nothing had changed. The world still moved on, regardless of what had happened. The sea continued rolling. The sun decided to shine again, its period of mourning over. The wind continued to blow. Somehow, the trainer standing on the cliff understood that. And yet, everything had changed so drastically. That hope that had been burgeoning in his chest just moments before it had happened, just twenty four hours ago, was nearly gone. So he had to hold onto it. The warm wind of Cerulean Cape whipped across Ash's face and he straightened his hat. His tears had long since dried as he stood there, watching the descending sun. There was movement behind him.

"Ash." the voice came softly. It was Misty's voice. "Dinner's ready, back at the gym…if you want some." Misty said. Ash didn't respond. He knew it had been a day since it had happened, since he had eaten, yet he couldn't bring himself to move forward quite yet. Misty turned away. "Well, I'll keep it warm for you." She began to walk away but Ash shook his head.

"Don't go." Ash said. "I'd…I'd like some company."

"Of course." Misty said kindly as she stood next to Ash. He made no move to take her hand, continuing to lean on the fence that overlooked the water. "I'm sorry Ash…If I had known about Arceus…"

"It wouldn't have changed anything." Ash said loudly. "Mewtwo still would have killed him…and I wasn't able to stop him!" Ash slammed his fist onto the fence.

"It wasn't your fault. There was nothing you could have done." Misty said, her head hung low. Ash let out a sigh.

"I know. It was Mewtwo's fault. He's the one that…" Ash didn't say anything before taking a deep breath to steady himself. "I'll be fine. I'm the Chosen One! I can't get all upset for too long!"

"Well, that's a good thing to hear." came the deep voice of Brock and both of the younger trainers turned to face their friend. Ash smiled as Pikachu quickly leapt onto Ash's shoulders. "If the Chosen One couldn't go on, I don't know where we'd be."

"Yeah, yeah…" Ash said, shoving Brock lightly on the shoulder. He chuckled a bit as he took his place on the other side of Ash. "You know, four years ago I proclaimed I wouldn't let Arceus leave this world hating us."

"He didn't." Brock said and Ash nodded.

"I know. He gave his life for us." Ash said. "So I guess we have to repay the favor."

"What do you mean?" Misty asked. Ash smiled at her before he went on.

"We have to make sure this world is saved. Whatever these legendaries are planning, I'm going to stop them. No matter what." Ash told her, a determined look on his face.

"Are you sure you can do it?" Misty said, her voice barely more that a whisper, betraying her deepest fear.

"I have to." Ash said, his face now stern. Brock nodded beside him. "But I'm not sure if I can do it alone."

"The thing is, Ash, you don't have to." Brock said, turning towards the ocean and not taking his gaze off it. "You've got friends."

"Right!" Ash said enthusiastically. "I've got you guys, May, Max, Dawn, Barry and all those other friends I've made on my journeys. And of course, I can't forget Pikachu!"

"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed loudly and all three of them laughed. The four turned towards the ocean and gazed out.

"I'll get through…somehow." Ash said, a smile stretching across his face. Misty and Brock smiled, believing in their friend's conviction, willing to help him see it through. And so, with a smile on their faces and hope in their hearts, the four oldest friends gazed out at sea together, watching the sun set.

**TO BE CONTINUED IN…**

**BOOK III**

**THE BURDENED ONES**

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Author's Note: Hopefully that was a very unexpected ending to the novel. This was the reason I never told any of you where I was ending this. Now, some of you may have noticed some similarities to the ending of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I will note, this was intentional. I was kinda listening to the soundtrack as I planned this story. That and I knew Arceus needed to die. It all plays a role in the end, you'll see. So there comes the very sad ending to BOOK II. Yes, BOOK III will debut shortly but I have to get my head on straight. I will tell you that the book is totally planned out and will be about 24 chapters. I just need to write it. So, as is customary at the end of the novel I as what you thought about my characterizations and of course speculation about the future of the series would be helpful. Now before I give you th customary summary of the next book I must remind you all to put me on STORY ALERT or you won't know when I post the next book. Also, we're currently tied up in the poll so I need all of you start voting if you haven't.

**Summary: Arceus is fallen and the world is now hanging to the edge of despair. Ash Ketchum, burdened over the loss of his mentor must now find a way to fulfill his duty as Chosen One, even with no one left to turn to, his burden weighing heavily upon him. And he would not be the only one. For there would be two weeks of intertwined fates and impossible burdens for each of them. With each of them facing troubles in their own hearts, Jessie, James and Meowth take a vow to pull the people together in order to stem the tide of crimson that is to come. The Jewel of Life, once held in Arceus, is the key. Ash knows it. The legendaries know it. All the answers will be revealed; the threads lay bare. The race is on. The battle is here. Winner take all.**

**And also, for some quotes:**

"**Why didn't you tell me?"  
**"**The very existence of the legendaries is a threat to each and every citizen. Tell me, Chosen One, do you truly think their lives are worth more than our own?"  
**"**Humans are a frail race, relying only on their selfish ideas. A world ruined by humans will rip itself apart from the inside out. The only solution: to rebuild the world anew."  
**"**You have no idea what you've started."  
**"**You've always had a choice!"  
**"**I'm not some helpless little boy who needs saving."  
**"**Sometimes you need to find strength in yourself."**

**That's it. So remember to REVIEW and Dare to be Silly, for now, and forever.**


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